Reid to Run Africa Channel

Former Discovery Health Channel general manager Bob Reid will head upstart network The Africa Channel.

Reid -- who spent seven years at Discovery Health, including a stint as GM from 2001-04 -- left the company over “philosophical differences” with Discovery Networks U.S. president Billy Campbell over the future direction of the network.

He is charged with leading the basic-cable network, which will feature music, movies, reality and news and information programming produced from the continent. The network has already secured a digital-basic carriage agreement with Cox Communications Inc.

Reid had been consulting with the network for several months prior to his appointment.