According to Deadline, Senior Vice President of Documentaries and Specials for Facial Networks and Streaming Howard Swartz (Impractical Jokers, Apocalypse ’45, The Great Balloon Bomb Invasion) is leaving his position with Warner Bros Discovery. The man with the extremely long title is most known for his contributions to yearly television phenomenon Shark Week.
Swartz has spent countless hours and years of experience and effort for the special week-long event showcasing the underwater predators of the deep. Swartz has opted to leave Warner Brothers, who is currently being bought/merged with Discovery to work for Banijay Americas, a group of production companies spread across the states and Latin America, owned by Stephen David Entertainment.
Swartz’ role at the company, named after Chief Executive Officer Stephen David (Sons of Liberty, American Dynasty, The World Wars), will be more intense with Banijay America. His position will be the Executive Vice President of Development, the company responsible for popular series including American Playboy and Men Who Built America.
Swartz was also responsible for several other important projects during his time at Warner Brothers, mostly involving history-based programs such as the Donald Trump documentary Unprecedented, as well as Serengeti, Viagra: The Little Blue Pill That Changed the World, and Undiscovered.
When asked about his newest employee, David says, “I have long admired Howard Swartz’s work, and I’m thrilled that he will be bringing his extraordinary vision and expertise to Stephen David Entertainment, his proven track record of creating high-profile global specials and event series across a variety of genres makes him the ideal partner as we continue to elevate our programming slate and expand into new categories.”
Finally when confronted about leaving Warner Brothers for a new position with Banijay America, Swartz stated, “Everything Stephen David does is premium and award-winning. He and his team are globally recognized for virtually re-inventing the history genre. The opportunity to help build on the success of his brand and expand into new and different areas is really exciting.”