David Royle leads the Smithsonian Channel editorial team, overseeing commissioning, acquiring, producing and scheduling. He has also been responsible for Smithsonian Networks’ international business development and channel distribution. Smithsonian Channel launched in Canada in 2013, Singapore in 2016, Latin America in 2018, UK and Ireland in 2019, and Brazil in 2019. One of the first HD channels, and now a leader in 4K, it has won critical acclaim for its programming and is the youngest channel to win an Emmy. Smithsonian Channel is recognized for smart, contemporary non-fiction that is entertaining and informative. In 2018 it launched Smithsonian Channel Plus, a subscription streaming service. In March 2019, Apple chose it for the launch of the new Apple TV channels. Royle was previously EVP of Production for National Geographic Television & Film where he was a member of the core team that imagined and helped launch the National Geographic Channel. He was also the Executive Producer of its flagship series National Geographic Explorer. His numerous awards including: nine Emmys, duPont Colombia University Gold and Silver Batons for broadcast journalism and a Peabody. In 2016, he was an inaugural recipient in Cannes of the World Screen Factual Trendsetter Award. In 2018, and 2019, he was named to the Cablefax 100, ranking the industry’s most influential US executives. 

Speaking on: 30 Minutes With: David Royle, Smithsonian Channel