Tartikoff Honorees Reflect, Look To Future
Jon Feltheimer, Lauren Zalaznick, Emilio Azcarraga Jean, and James L. Brooks get tribute treatment at the 11th annual Tartikoff Awards, recognizing industry figures who have made an impact on the business in the spirit of the late NBC master programmer.
Lauren Zalaznick, who has been primarily responsible for the network’s growth into new digital arenas, is leaving the company, but will still consult on some projects. There is speculation that Zalaznick is being tapped for Yahoo’s media unit.
In her first public chat since shifting last month to her new digital-focused post as EVP of NBCUniversal, Lauren Zalaznick said that varying early iterations of TV Everywhere are somewhat complicating consumers’ understanding of the concept, offering examples of three very different models — the ad-free HBO Go, NBCU’s live app for the London Olympics that enhanced the live streaming, and ESPN’s TVE service.
Few in television have been as focused on the rise of the Hispanic demographic and its implications for the industry as NBCU’s Lauren Zalaznick. NBCU has a broad strategy to integrate Hispanic and non-Hispanic programming into a broader NBCU programming approach. Hispanics are “the only large-scale growing network audience on television,” Zalaznick says. “We all know [the] general-market is shrinking … but Hispanic broadcast is growing.”
Cameron Blanchard, Tony Cardinale and Margaret Lazlo are playing starring roles in the newly created NBCUniversal Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated Media division. They report to the division’s chairman Lauren Zalaznick.
NBC Universal’s Spanish-language television network Telemundo is about to get a jolt as Lauren Zalaznick — the company’s high priestess of marketing who has demonstrated a knack for turning tawdry reality shows into high culture — will be tapped to take over the network. Zalaznick currently shepherds Bravo as well as the younger-skewing Oxygen channel and website iVillage.
Exclusives
Comcast is relying on the ranks of NBC Universal’s management to fill top jobs as it prepares to take the wraps off a new post-merger pecking order. Comcast’s point man on the integration, COO Steve Burke, has started signing contracts and is expected to unveil a final management structure around Thanksgiving.
