Paul Telegdy has parted ways with NBC Entertainment, following allegations of racist, sexist and homophobic behavior, as parent company NBCUniversal engineers a sprawling corporate overhaul meant to streamline its network and direct-to-consumer businesses. Most recently head of NBCUniversal’s lifestyle networks, Frances Berwick will now lead its television entertainment business, overseeing daily operations across all networks and dayparts, commissioning and acquiring programming that will work across platforms, and implement “creative windowing and scheduling strategies” across both broadcast network NBC and NBCU’s cable networks.
Current and former employees allege that NBC Entertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy engaged in racist, sexist and homophobic behavior: “It was par for the course.”
NBCUniversal today unveiled management changes that will see Bonnie Hammer shift from launching the Peacock streaming platform to overseeing all broadcast and cable studio operations. Comcast vet Matt Strauss is joining NBCU as the new head of Peacock, while Paul Telegdy will become the solo chairman of NBC Entertainment, multiple sources close to the situation have confirmed. George Cheeks, who has spent the past years as co-chair of the NBC Entertainment broadcast division alongside Telegdy, will shift to a vice chair role under Hammer.
Four months into their run as Co-Chairmen of NBC Entertainment, where they replaced Bob Greenblatt, George Cheeks and Paul Telegdy offered their first public comments about their roles and the TV landscape during a keynote session at NATPE.
It’s official: Bob Greenblatt’s tenure as NBC Entertainment has come to an end. NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke, in a memo to staff Monday morning, officially announced that George Cheeks and Paul Telegdy would take over for Greenblatt and serve as co-chairmen of NBC Entertainment.
NBCUniversal Broadcasting ChairmanTed Harbert is leaving the company and his duties are being divvied up. With his departure, NBC Sports chief Mark Lazarus will expand duties and oversee the O&Os and affiliate relations, although those units will continued to be run by Valari Staab and Jean Dietze, respectively. NBCU execs George Cheeks and Paul Telegdy will assume Harbert’s oversight of NBC’s first-run syndication business, which is headed by Ed Swindler.
Exclusives
Meredith Ahr also extends her contract, serving as president of the new in-house initiative that will supply unscripted fare to NBC and other outlets.
