Leon Hawthorne is a television executive who conceived and launched the Baby Channel, Beauty Zone TV, Book Zone, Avenue 11 and Simply TV. He is currently CEO of two Sky satellite TV channels in the UK and ten Internet TV channels. Leon started out as a news journalist in 1989, working as a reporter, anchor and producer of news and current affairs. He was World News Editor for CNBC Europe, World News Anchor for CNN in the United States and a Political Correspondent for the BBC in Westminster. Leon ended his on-screen career in 2002 in order to focus on the business side of television and new media. Through his personal vehicle, Videobite Limited, in conjunction with Simply Media TV Productions Limited, Leon develops projects for broadcast or commercial exploitation. A number of new web TV channels are slated for launch in 2008. Leon was born in Bristol, England and lives in London.