New York – Dirk Hoogstra has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Development and Programming, for HISTORY® and H2™. He has served as Senior Vice President, Development and Programming for HISTORY since 2010.
“Dirk is one of the fastest rising stars in the business,” said Nancy Dubuc, President Entertainment and Media, A+E Networks, to whom he will continue to report. “Creative and entrepreneurial, he has built one of the best programming teams in the business and his deep relationships with the creative community have helped catapult HISTORY into the top echelons in the industry. And, in just 18 months, he has transformed H2 into the number one emerging entertainment network. I am delighted he is getting the recognition he deserves for all his accomplishments over the last few years.”
Hoogstra will continue to oversee the networks’ programming teams, and manages the development, creation and execution of all programming for HISTORY and H2. He is also charged with imaginatively integrating new programming with online initiatives, and developing innovative ways to expand the brand across multiple platforms. Hoogstra was an executive producer on the network’s first scripted mini-series Hatfields & McCoys, which premiered in May 2012 which received great ratings and went on to earn five Emmy awards.
During his tenure at HISTORY, he oversaw hit series and specials including American Pickers, Counting Cars, Mountain Men, Top Gear, Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy, Top Shot, Men Who Built America and the upcoming scripted series Vikings and docudrama The Bible. Hoogstra began his career with Discovery Communications Inc. in 1995. Over a seven-year period he worked in Production and Development at TLC, Discovery Primetime and Discovery Networks International. In 2002, Hoogstra left Discovery to head up Development for Brainbox Productions, an independent production company. There he developed and Executive Produced specials and series for Discovery Networks, HGTV, HISTORY, Style and Court TV. In 2004 he returned to Discovery Channel as Development Producer, overseeing development and editorial on various primetime series and specials.
