Discovery boss calls for light touch regulation in the UK

David Zaslav, the CEO of US-based channel operator Discovery Communications, has called upon UK authorities to favour light touch regulation so that it can continue to operate on a level playing field with its UK peers.

Speaking at the RTS conference in Cambridge, Zaslav said that the company “created a lot of value” in the UK with its twelve channel-strong bouquet. He added that Discovery had been working with UK culture secretary Jeremy Hunt and expressed its hopes regarding regulation in the UK market.

Discovery invests a reported £200 million (€229 million) a year in the UK. It is also its largest international market, generating the most revenue and profit of any of the international territories in which it operates.

Zaslav said: “It’s our largest market outside of the U.S., we’ve been here since 1989, and we’re hoping that’s not going to change.”