Discovery Inc. has named Jane Latman general manager of Travel Channel, one of the networks Discovery acquired when it bought Scripps Networks Interactive.

Latman will continue to serve as executive VP, development and research, for Investigation Discovery and American Heroes Channel, and as general manager of Destination America.

Travel Channel didn’t have a general manager. The executives who had been in charge of programming for the network—Allison Page and Courtney White--were promoted to senior posts at HGTV and Food Network.

Related: Discovery Gives New Duties to Execs Schleiff, Page, White

Those networks, also from the SNI acquisition, are overseen by former Scripps executive Kathleen Finch, now Discovery’s Chief Lifestyle Brands Officer.

Earlier this month, Discovery Group president Henry Schlieff was put in charge of Travel Channel. Schlieff, who reports to Finch, also runs ID, American Heroes and Destination America.

“Jane is an unrivaled force in the television industry whose visionary creativity, natural leadership skills and passionate belief in collaboration make her one of the most, deservedly, respected executives in the industry,” said Schleiff. “I’m continually impressed by her ability to cultivate content that converts viewers into passionate fans – and, move a brand forward – a trait that will undoubtedly make her a successful steward at Travel Channel.”

Latman gets credit for creating programming that has powered ID from being the No. 50 network a decade ago to No. 1 today among women 25 to 54.

She joined Discovery in 2003.

Pop will become the new home for TNA Wrestling as the pro wrestling outfit reached a distribution deal with the former TV Guide Network (now owned by CBS and Lionsgate) for distribution of its weekly series Impact Wrestling.

The series will move from Destination America, which has carried the show since January. Pop will debut TNA’s signature series on Tuesday, Jan. 5, according to the network. The deal provides Impact with more exposure from POP’s 73 million viewers compared to Destination America’s 55 million viewers, according to Nielsen estimates.

“Wrestling has been a fan-fueled staple since the ‘50s, and continues to be some of the most-watched appointment television today. The die-hard fandom and extraordinary passion surrounding Impact Wrestling captures the spirit of Pop as a network that celebrates fan-driven entertainment and excitement,” Pop president Brad Schwartz said in a release. “We’re committed to this new partnership and psyched to bring the show’s loyal fans a dedicated night to watch their favorite show on Pop every week.” 

The deal marks the third distribution home for Impact Wrestling in as many years. Prior to airing on Destination America, Spike TV had carried Impact Wrestling for nine years.

“Pop’s enthusiasm for our partnership and the network’s fan focus is a perfect fit for our company,” said TNA President Dixie Carter in a statement.

Live sports and news event programming  have been huge ratings plays for cable networks  this year, from ESPN’s cable record-setting  audience for the Jan. 12 Ohio State-Oregon  College Football Playoff National Championship  game to Fox News Channel’s stunning performance for its Republican Presidential Debate on Aug. 6.

Three other networks this week are  looking to tap into the excitement and unpredictability  of live programming with  specials that, if successful, could usher in a  new era of live entertainment fare on cable  beyond awards shows.

National Geographic Channel kicked things off  Sunday (Oct. 25) with Brain Surgery Live, featuring a  renowned surgical team performing a deep brain stimulation  surgery on an awake patient in real time. The neurological  procedure — performed on a retired Navy chief  petty officer who suffers from tremors due to the early  onset of Parkinson’s disease — was billed as the first live  telecast of its kind, acknowledging the remarkable technological  achievements in the medical field.

Catering to viewers looking for thrills and chills during  Halloween week, A&E on Monday (Oct.  26) digs up a special that will test the limits  of fear among three participants who have  volunteered to be buried alive, live. A&E is  marketing the special, Fear: Buried Alive, as  more of a psychological experiment testing  — and hopefully conquering — fear itself,  but many viewers will undoubtedly tune in  to see how long it will take for the contestants  to freak out within the constraints of  a sealed, underground coffin.

On Halloween Eve, Destination America  follows suit with the first-ever live telecast  of an exorcism when it goes to the  house that inspired the 1970s horror film The Exorcist  to investigate paranormal activity.Exorcism: Live even  brings an interactive element: Viewers can access multiple  live camera feeds set up around the house online at  DestinationAmerica.com/ExorcismLive.

While these shows aren’t expected to generate the  20 million to 30 million viewers that some live cable news  and sports events have already done this year, the specials  will shed some light on whether the mix of live and entertainment  programming can generate big audiences. 

Cable network Destination America will host Fourth of July celebrations this weekend in the communities of Waveland, Miss., and Oroville, Calif., which were selected from a pool of 2,600 entrants in the network's third annual Red, White and You contest.

The network created the holiday-linked public service initiative in 2013 as its contribution to Discovery Impact, Discovery Communications's corporate social responsibility program, which challenged each of the programmer's networks to come up with their own community service efforts.

For both communities the weekend will mark the return of Independence Day fireworks following years of difficulties.

Waveland is a Gulf Coast beach town that just barely survived 1969's Hurricane Camille (which Southerners along the coast still speak about in hushed tones) only to become the ground zero of 2005's Hurricane Katrina.

Ten years later, Waveland, with a population of less than 6,500, is still recovering from the devastating storm, having just reopened its iconic pier on June 20. The Waveland Police Department said it was preparing for a crowd of 15,000 to 30,000 people for the $50,000 July 4th spectacular, according to local news reports.

"I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of rebuilding since Katrina than to have this celebration,” said Mayor Mike Smith of Waveland. "Our people are very resilient, but this will help in the healing process."

Oroville, dubbed the City of Gold for its role during the California Gold Rush, today is one of the leading water sources for the entire state but is at only 44% capacity, according to a photo essay at the San Francisco Chronicle's website. With the still ongoing statewide drought and other local economic challenges, fireworks traditionally displayed from atop the Oroville Dam have been canceled the last several summers.

Destination America's Red, White and You initiative will restore that grand tradition in the seat of Butte County, where personal possession and use of fireworks are banned outside the city limits, in unincorporated areas of the county, according to the local Gridley Herald.

"[T]he California drought has been difficult for everyone, including us," said Oroville Mayor Linda Dahlmeier. "This 4th of July celebration will encourage our community and remind us of our rich history.”

The two communities' "stories of recovery and resilience" piqued the network's interest, Marc Etkind, Destination America GM, said, adding, "[T]heir incredible display of hometown pride and American spirit are what makes them especially deserving."

Communities that have won the Destination America contest in the past include 2014 grand prize winners Prescott, Ariz., a town still recovering from the wildfires that claimed the lives of 19 firefighters, and Hamtramck, Mich., a city making a comeback from economic hard times. The inaugural 2013 winners were Union Beach, N.J., a Jersey Shore town hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, and Fayetteville, N.C., a community that enthusiastically supports its military partners at Fort Bragg.

“Independence Day is a time to bring communities together," Etkind said, "and Destination America is privileged to support these towns as they honor their pasts while working hard to ensure a bright future.”

Destination America launched this year's contest in March. The winning submissions came from residents of each community; they are reprinted below.

Waveland, Miss. – Nominated by Donna Estopinal
It's been almost 10 years since Hurricane Katrina attacked Waveland, MS leaving our beautiful city in ruins.  She did not attack a few, the entire city was affected.  Not only did she put people out of work, she also put them out of their homes.  Many people were forced to move away leaving their dreams behind to start over somewhere else.  Those who stayed were determined to rebuild not just their homes but our beautiful city as well.  Waveland is coming back stronger and better than before.  Our pier will be open soon, our veterans' memorial is more beautiful than before and on and on.  We are recovering and moving forward slow but sure.  Everyone in the City of Waveland works hard everyday.  What better place to show off our determination in rebuilding than Waveland, Ms by having a "Red, White and You" celebration, fireworks and all!

Oroville, Calif. – Nominated by Deliah Robison
Oroville, CA deserves a wonderful 4th of July celebration. Oroville, named the City of Gold, is a historical point for the gold rush. Oroville is home to one of the largest dams. Many retired military Veterans reside here. It means a lot to those families and their community to celebrate and remember what their service was for. In the past, our town hosted a large fireworks show from the dam, but the costs have become too high in many previous years. Last year, they ran many fundraisers to host the fireworks show. It would mean a lot to our town to be able to celebrate without cutting back or having to run numerous fundraisers. We have many access points and can even host neighboring towns by opening our state parks and marinas for more places to watch the fireworks. Please consider our town.

Two communities -- one hard hit by Hurricane Katrina a decade ago, another suffering through drought and an economic downturn -- will see Fourth of July fireworks celebrations restored this year after their selection as Destination America's "Red, White and You" contest.

This is the third year the Discovery-owned network, in tandem with USA Today, has asked communities across the country to make a case for why their hometowns deserve to have a big patriotic party thrown for their populaces. Out of 2,600 entries, the winning communities are:

• Waveland, Miss., on the Gulf Coast, which will celebrate its recovery and rebuilding accomplishments with the first July Fourth fireworks celebration in a decade;
• Oroville, Calif., which will restore a past tradition of a fireworks display at the 770-foot-tall dam that provides the leading water source for the entire state -- but which has seen the lake dwindle in paralyzing drought conditions and suffered economic hardships that have pre-empted the pyrotechnics in recent years. (See photo, via ABCnews.com; credit Paul Hames/California Department of Water Resources via Getty Images|Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.)

“Waveland and Oroville captured our attention with their stories of recovery and resilience while their incredible display of hometown pride and American spirit are what makes them especially deserving of the Red, White and You grand prize celebration,” Marc Etkind, general manager of Destination America, said in a release. “Independence Day is a time to bring communities together, and Destination America is privileged to support these towns as they honor their pasts while working hard to ensure a bright future.”

“I am delighted that Destination America and USA Today have chosen the beautiful City of Waveland for a July 4th celebration," mayor Mike Smith said in the release. "Our people are very resilient, but this will help in the healing process to recover from a devastating hurricane such as Katrina. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of rebuilding since Katrina than to have this celebration.”

“We are so honored to receive the Red, White, and You celebration hosted by Destination America and USA Today," Oroville mayor Linda Dahlmeier said similarly. "Oroville has grown through the gold rush, the logging industry, and the monumental build of the Oroville Dam. Oroville is the beginning of the State Water Project and the California drought has been difficult for everyone, including us. This 4th of July celebration will encourage our community and remind us of our rich history.”

Last summer, the festivities were held in Prescott, Ariz., in recovery from deadly wildfires that killed 19 brave firefighters, and in hard-hit Hamtramck, Mich.

The first Red, White and You parties, in 2013, took place in Union Beach, N.J., a coastal town recovering from Hurricane Sandy, and Fayetteville, N.C., a community that enthusiastically supports its military partners at Fort Bragg, as Destination America noted.

Ghost chasers embark at night to an old-butrestored federal building in Georgia to investigate reports of unusual happenings inside, near where a police officer was gunned down in 1890.

As the chasers — loaded up with night-view cameras, flashlights and recording devices — call out to contact the spirit of the officer, a loud bang permeates the silence of the hallway inside, sending the chasers scrambling first for their safety and then to see who or what may have been responsible for the noise.

The spine-tingling scene was from the current season of Syfy’s venerable paranormal series Ghost Hunters. While the chasers may have been frightened on camera, can ghosts, spirits and dead relatives scare up ratings on the small screen for cable networks?

With nearly half of all Americans believing in ghosts or spirits of dead people that come back into our lives, networks such as Destination America, Syfy, Travel Channel and LMN are turning to the afterlife for inspiration.

New reality series featuring haunted houses, ghostly apparitions — both friendly and evil — and other paranormal activity have sparked new life into ratings for some cable networks.

Executives said that these shows are getting a boost from a fanatical subculture that believes in the supernatural and paranormal, and flock to reality-based paranormal shows that reflect their beliefs. Nearly 65% of people believe there is life after death, with 43% of people believe the spirits of dead people can return in certain places or situations, according to a 2013 Huffington Post and YouGov poll.

In addition, a recent Pew Research survey reported that 18% of U.S. adults said they’ve actually interacted with a ghost, and 29% said they have felt in touch with someone who has died.

“There’s a large percentage of people who believe in the afterlife and its ties into this deep-seeded desire for life to continue afterwards and to also talk to love ones for closure, so I think that’s what we’re tapping into,” Marc Etkind, general manager for Destination America, said. This month alone, Etkind’s network is offering four new paranormal and monster-themed shows — Ghost Asylum, Ghost Stalkers, Amish Haunting and Alaska Monsters.

“There are a lot of unexplained things happening in the world and so I think the audience likes to go for that ride,” he added.

Viewers are turning to ghost-themed reality shows in part because even in this age of technology, viewers are still seeking ways to reach relatives and close friends who have passed away. Moreover, ominous news stories like the Ebola scare and the threat of terrorism can nudge viewers to seek answers about life and the afterlife, some executives said.

“There’s a natural inclination to wonder if it’s real of if it really exists,” said Bill McGoldrick, executive vice president of original content for Syfy, which on Wednesday (Oct. 22) will air the 200th episode of its signature paranormal series Ghost Hunters. Now in its ninth season, Ghost Hunters averages 1.7 million viewers and is the network’s second most-watched series among total viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54.

“I think anybody, whether they are a sci-fi fan or not, wants to answer the question of whether there’s an afterlife or are there spirits among us,” McGoldrick added. “That will always be at the core of what drives this stuff.”

Surprisingly, paranormalthemed shows are also striking a chord with female viewers, who are intrigued with emotional and haunting stories of the afterlife. Network executives said female viewers make up 55% to 60% of the audience for most paranormal-based reality shows.

Destination America’s Ghost Asylum, in which a team of ghost chasers look for the undead in abandoned asylums, launched Sept. 9 and already ranks as the network’s most watched series ever among women 25-54 and women 18-49, said network officials.

On LMN, several paranormal shows are resonating with its target female viewers including the network’s most-watched series My Haunted House, which through reenactments tells stories of people living in terror.

“There’s a spiritual fascination in things outside of ourselves and understanding what energies may exist beyond what we know,” Laura Flury, vice president and head of programming and development for LMN, said. “I also think there’s something comforting and sometimes scary about the fact that when people pass on there might still be a way to communicate with them.”

While paranormal-themed series are not new — shows like In Search of … in the 1970s, and the more recent Paranormal State and Celebrity Ghost Stories, have all chronicled tales of the unknown — the success of genre-based Hollywood films and scripted TV series have bolstered the category.

The Paranormal Activity film franchise has generated nearly $390 million in box office revenue over five films since 2009. On television, horror-themed shows like AMC’s The Walking Dead and FX’s American Horror Story have generated record ratings for their respective networks. The Oct. 12 fifth-season premiere of The Walking Dead drew an AMC-record 17.5 million viewers, while American Horror Story: Freak Show — the fourth iteration of the anthology series — drew a network record 10 million viewers in live-plus-3 ratings, Nielsen said.

Other shows like WGN America’s Salem, Fox’s Sleepy Hollow, FX’s The Strain, HBO’s True Blood and Netflix’s Hemlock Grove have also drawn significantly high viewership within the genre.

“The genre has gained a lot of momentum over the past few years and networks are beginning to see that,” said Ross Babbit, senior vice president of programming and development for Travel Channel, which airs the highly rated Ghost Adventures, now in its 10th season. “The paranormal audience is so passionate about the genre that they’ll tend to watch and rate all the shows in the space.”

Added Etkind: “This genre has proved popular from the beginning of TV and these are great American campfire stories,” he said. “You think about the Salem witchcraft trials and Sleepy Hollow — these are stories that have been passed on for generations in America. Every town has that building or asylum that you don’t go into.”

Even nonbelievers are tuning into the paranormal reality series genre, if nothing else for the entertainment value, according to Babbit.

“You watch because you either believe or you don’t, or you’re entertained by the people who are trying to find ghosts,” he said. “I don’t know if you have to believe, but it’s really entertaining. Who really knows what the truth is, but these guys are very passionate about what they do.”

Still skepticism abounds, and it’s not clear how long the genre can deliver consistent ratings. Destination America’s Etkind maintains the genre is alive and well for now.

“With the belief rates at record highs there’s always going to be room for a new creative idea in this space,” he said. “These types of shows have been on TV for a long time and they’re here to stay … We’re just looking for new ways to tell them.”

Destination America has selected communities in Arizona and Michigan as the winners of its second annual "Red, White and You" contest.

Prescott, Ariz. and Hamtrack, Mich. will host spectacular Fourth of July celebrations, courtesy of Destination America and USA Weekend.  

“We are honored to celebrate our nation’s birthday with these two very worthy communities,” said Marc Etkind, general manager for Destination America.  “Fourth of July is a balance of remembrance with celebration and we hope to encourage the spirit and tradition of the holiday in Hamtramck,  while commemorating the heroic firefighters of Prescott.”

The contest, borne out of many communities’ lack of funding to stage traditional events, last year awarded Union Beach, NJ, a coastal town recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, and Fayetteville, NC, a community which enthusiastically supports its military partners at Fort Bragg.  

Launched in March, the 2014 Red, White and You contest, drawing 2,500 entries, asked folks across the country to put their pride on display to prove why their respective towns were most deserving of an over-the-top Independence Day party. Prescott is still recovering from the devastating wildfires that tragically claimed the lives of 19 brave firefighters, while Hamtramck is a city that has been hit by hard times, but in true American spirit is working to make a comeback.

Columbus, Ga., Charleston, W.V., Aiken, S.C., Ellwood City, Penn.; and Toledo, Ohio are the five runners-ups and will be feted with dazzling fireworks displays.

Additionally, an online poll for People’s Choice winner, which took place at DestinationAmerica.com, resulted in three winners with Delmont, S.D, Gloucester, Mass. And Hackleburg, Ala., coming out on top, each receiving $4000 toward their local parks and recreation departments.

Last year, Destination America lined up a spectacular party for Union Beach, headlined by Grammy Award-winning band The Mavericks. Union Beach was treated to barbeque from stars of the network’s series BBQ Pitmasters Myron Mixon and Tuffy Stone. In Fayetteville, there was a more patriotic nod to our country’s armed forces: the 82ndAirborne Division Chorus performed after a traditional posting of the colors and remarks from Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Colt, deputy commanding general, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg.