John Flanagan Named GM for History Channel in Japan

A+E Networks named John Flanagan general manager of The History Channel Japan, a joint venture of A+E and Super-Network.

A+E increased its stake in the 15-year-old joint venture to 80% from 50% in July 2016.

Flanagan, who had been president and representative director of Blackhawk Network Japan & Korea, will be responsible for all business operations and is tasked with driving growth in linear and digital and working with distribution partners and advertising clients. He succeeds Asia Ireton.

“John Flanagan is a talented executive whose decades of experience in cable TV, digital media and the retail marketplace are perfectly suited to maximizing THCJ’s growth as we continue grow our footprint throughout the region” said Edward Sabin, executive managing director of international at A+E Networks.

Before Blackhawk Network, Flanagan was with Amazon, Dyson, Apple, 20th Century Fox, Mediatti Communications and Liberty Media, all in Japan.

“We are thrilled to welcome Flanagan as our new GM and look forward to building on the success and momentum our channel has achieved over the past four years under the sage guidance of our current GM, Asia Ireton,” said Akira Miyauchi, president of Super-Network. “I am extremely grateful for her remarkable service and the success she has brought to the channel.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.