After five years at 20th Century Fox TV, Peter Chernin’s TV operation is moving to NBCUniversal with a new two-year overall deal. The deal will allow Chernin Television to develop and produce projects with NBCU’s Universal Television, along with the option of producing independently for cable and other streaming platforms.
The campaign, called Symphony, has been opened to outside advertisers. The idea is to use Comcast’s multiplatform range of assets for ad campaigns.
NBCU Sales Chief Shares Upfront Strategy
For the next several weeks, Linda Yaccarino will be one of the hardest working people in television. As chairman of advertising sales and client partnerships for NBCUniversal, she’s overseeing upfront negotiations for a robust TV portfolio that includes two broadcast networks, 17 cable channels and more than 50 digital properties. Before ramping up her upfront negotiations, Yaccarino talked about plans for next season, her company’s big swings and of course, the d-word.
Anand Kini, the company’s interim chief financial officer since February, gets the job fulltime. He also continues to lead the data-driven consumer and business insights division and the Information Technology group.
Jenna Bush Hager To Get NBC Talk Show?
Today correspondent Jenna Bush Hager is in the running for a new NBCUniversal daytime talk show in development that could eventually replace The Meredith Vieira Show, sources say. The Bush daughter is one of several people said to be testing for a panel-style chat program to replace Vieira, which has seen soft ratings since its launch last season.
NBCUniversal has joined traditional TV networks, including Fox Networks Group, in creating a new advanced advertising post. NBCU has hired digital advertising veteran Denise Colella as senior vice president of advanced advertising products and strategy within its advertising sales unit.
Exclusives
Comcast Revamps Set-Top Data As Platform
Comcast Corp. long-protected set-top cable subscriber box data — highly desired by many TV research services — is getting another release, this time as NBCUniversal’s new audience/data platform.
AOL, in a significant expansion of its licensed content, announced a deal with NBCUniversal for access to video — some of it exclusive — from the Peacock’s broadcast and cable TV networks. Starting this summer, video clips and segments from NBCU entertainment and news programming will be available to stream on AOL’s website and mobile apps, as well as on the 16 over-the-top platforms on which the AOL video is available.
He will lead business affairs, content licensing, operations, as well as strategy and business development for the newly-created digital enterprises organization.
Comcast in recent days has told regulators in closed-door talks that the changing over-the-top landscape means it should not be required to distribute NBC programming to broadband rivals beyond January 2018, according to sources. With so many rivals — like Dish Network’s Sling TV, which launched Feb. 9 without NBC — content from Comcast’s NBCUniversal is not needed to succeed, Comcast brass told the FCC, the sources say.
NBCU’s Lifestyle Channels Make Their Pitch
NBC’s cable lifestyle group, which comprises of E!, Bravo, Esquire Network and Oxygen, is making a pitch that, if advertisers want to reach younger viewers, and in particular women, they offer scale and differentiated viewership that other programming groups can’t match.
The general manager and executive VP of NBCUniversal’s TV Everywhere initiative will speak at the Online Video Conference at April’s NAB Show.
Can Apple’s TV service entice viewers without NBC network or its sister cable channels, including CNBC and USA? The question could be moot, as Comcast’s NBCUniversal may be forced to hand over its programming regardless.
He will be based in Miami and will be responsible for developing and executing technology strategy across all business units, including Telemundo network and studios, Telemundo International and mun2.
The new advertising product connects advertisers with social media conversations around NBCUniversal programming and talent.
It launches Bravo Now and Telemundo Now apps on Microsoft’s Xbox One, joining earlier USA Now and Syfy Now apps.
NBCUniversal on Monday promoted Meara Abramson Valenzuela to senior vice president, planning and strategy, Hispanic enterprises and content. She is based in New York and will report to Marlene Sanchez […]
Dish Network, the nation’s third-largest pay-TV company, may drop NBCUniversal’s regional sports networks in the Chicago, Washington, Sacramento and San Francisco areas on Dec. 1. The plan seems to be part of a strategy to slim down the bundle of cable channels offered to its TV subscribers, to control price increases. Dish axed the Boston-area regional sports network in August.
NBCUniversal has decided to make the historic step of settling claims of violating labor laws through its unpaid internship program by agreeing to pay $6.4 million.
BEIJING (AP) — Spider-Man could soon swing over Beijing, chasing Optimus Prime and despicable minions through a $3.3 billion Universal theme park aimed at capitalizing on China’s rising middle class […]
NBCUniversal’s Hispanic Enterprises and Content announced the appointment of Gregory M. Resh to SVP, finance, effective immediately. Resh previously was VP, finance, at NBCUniversal. He is based in Miami and will report […]
Dina Juliano joins from HBO to oversee consumer product strategy at the expanding unit.
NBC’s Swindler Has Strong Hand With Vieira
Edward Swindler, head of NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution is going into the fall with syndication’s brightest new offering, The Meredith Vieira Show. He talks about that as well as Steve Harvey, the fate of such shows as Trisha Goddard and opportunities for fall 2015 that include Katie’s soon-to-be vacated time slots on the ABC O&Os.
‘Meredith Vieira’: Let The Promotion Begin
NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution’s new syndicated talker, The Meredith Vieira Show, is beginning to ramp up the promotion that will include an appearance by the host at NATPE as well as exposure at the Olympics and on her YouTube program.
There’s a battle being waged for that much-maligned piece of furniture we all end up in front of sooner or later. Call it the Idiot Box, the Boob Tube or whatever you want — the majority of media consumption still happens in front of the television, and whether it’s gaming, movie watching, Netflix or just listening to the stereo, tech giants are fighting tooth and nail for a seat on your couch. Here’s what they’re bringing to the party.
An undetermined number of ad-sales staffers have been let go from NBCUniversal after the company announced a radical restructuring of its efforts in that part of its business.
Nearly three years after Comcast took control of NBCUniversal from General Electric, Steve Burke is still shaking up the executive suites and clearing out those who don’t hew to the CEO’s vision. The seemingly endless stream of high-level changes has raised questions among NBCUniversal insiders about what exactly Burke and Comcast ultimately have in mind.
Maggie McLean Suniewick to focus on better integration of Peacock assets and cable operations.
The ad sales division now comprises four content areas: entertainment, live programming, lifestyle and digital video. Also announced is a new center for marketing innovation called the Client Solutions Group.
Comcast engineers created a new feature called “See It” that will be made available to millions of Xfinity customers. Beginning in November, the feature will allow audiences to access TV shows, movies and sports directly from a tweet. In a customer’s news feed will be the option to click the “See It” button and access live television, set a DVR, enable a reminder or buy theater tickets through Fandango.
NBCUniversal announced today four appointments in its News Group’s advertising sales organization. Tom Stevens has been promoted to the newly created role of SVP, NBCUniversal News Group Sales where he […]
Cesar Conde is resigning as president of Univision Networks to become an executive vice president at NBCUniversal. In this newly created role, he will focus on business development, strategic priorities and special business projects across the NBCUniversal portfolio. He also will oversee the International Group.
Jeff Shell, an NBCUniversal television executive, will soon take over day-to-day operations at Universal Studios, according to three people briefed on the development. Ron Meyer, who has been the movie and theme park company’s president for 18 years, is expected to move up the ladder at NBCUniversal. Comcast, the corporate owner, appears intent on funneling the Hollywood studio’s content to cable television.
Rick Cotton, one of the most senior executives at NBCUniversal, is stepping down as executive vice president and general counsel of the entertainment giant after almost 25 years in the position. Replacing Cotton is Kimberly Harris, a former member of President Obama’s White House Counsel and most recently a partner at Davis Polk & Wardwell.
NBCU remains confident that a commitment from the commonly owned NBC O&Os will happen soon and that the show will be slotted on all 10 of the group’s stations, including WNBC New York, KNBC Los Angeles and WMAQ Chicago.Collectively, those stations reach 27% of U.S. TV homes.
Former Disney Publishing President Russell Hampton will lead the company’s media innovation and cross company initiatives division as EVP.
