Vivian Schiller

As general manager and senior vice president of Discovery Times Channel (formerly knows as Discovery Civilization Channel), Vivian Schiller oversees all programming, management and operational aspects of the network. Discovery Times Channel is co-owned by Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI) and The New York Times Company. Schiller is based in Bethesda, Maryland, where the network is headquartered, and spends time working in New York with the New York Times Company management.

A 14-year veteran of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., Schiller most recently served as senior vice president, CNN Productions, leading the CNN Newsgroup's long-form programming efforts. Among her key accomplishments are the development and launch of two weekly series - People in the News (with People magazine) and CNN Presents - the latter of which has received numerous awards, including a Peabody Award, two Alfred I. duPont Awards, a Polk Award and an Emmy Award, among others. Under Schiller's leadership, CNN Newsgroup's shows earned seven 2002 Emmy nominations, of which CNN won four.

Previously, Schiller served as vice president and general manager for CNN Productions. In this position, she directed the organizational, operational and editorial restructuring needed to transition the documentary unit from TBS Superstation to CNN. She also supervised the weekly documentary series CNN Perspectives, and oversaw the cross-divisional rollout of other marquee programs such as Cold War.

Prior to her role at CNN Productions, Schiller served as vice president and general manager of Turner Original Productions where she managed the documentary division of the Turner Entertainment Networks. In this role, Schiller supervised weekly blocks on TBS Superstation such as Wild!Life Adventures, Destination Sunday, and TBS Superstation's Sunday night documentary block. In addition, she senior-produced Turner's first-ever Oscar nominated program, Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream, among other Peabody- and Emmy-winning productions. Schiller began her career at Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. in 1988, using her proficiency in Russian to oversee documentaries and television movies co-produced with Soviet State Television (Gosteleradio).

Schiller is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Executive Peer Group, serves on the Screening Jury for the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Journalism Awards, is a member of the Banff Television Festival's Board of Governors and is a past president of the Cine Golden Eagle Awards. In 1997, she was named a "Woman to Watch" by Women In Cable & Telecommunications.

Schiller earned her master's degree in Russian from Middlebury College and her bachelor's degree in Russian and Soviet Studies from Cornell University.