Scripps Names Shannon O’Neill Travel Channel President

Travel Channel senior vice president and CFO Shannon O’Neill has been tapped to lead the network.

O’Neill Wedesday was named president of the Scripps-owned network, responsible for overseeing the network’s development into a “powerhouse lifestyle media brand,” said network officials. O’Neill effectively replaces Laureen Ong, who stepped down from the network’s leadership position last October.

O’Neill, who will report to Burton Jablin, president of the company’s Scripps Networks operating division, served three years as Travel Channel’s senior vice president and chief financial officer.

“Shannon is an outstanding leader and strategic thinker with extensive experience creating new media businesses, building audiences and growing revenues,” Jablin said. “His mission as president of Travel Channel will be to deliver programming that embraces and celebrates travel as a video content category, while increasing the network’s audience profile of upscale, educated and highly valued viewers.”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.