As expected, new NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker tapped three of his key lieutenants for promotion today. Let me be among the first to salute the relative brevity of Jeff Gaspin's new title.
In a new media world, where executive titles often include subordinate clauses, Gaspin's old NBCU title was a humdinger: President, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, Digital Content and Cross-Network Strategy. Jack Donaghy, Alec Baldwin's ficitional network boss–sorry, "Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming"–on NBC's 30 Rock, would've been envious.
Although I would've preferred that Zucker simply order all NBCU executives to append "2.0" to their names, I was delighted to see that Gaspin's new title–President, NBC Universal Cable and Digital Content–is half as long as the old one. I know I'm not alone among print journalists in appreciating just how much space this saves. Let's hope it's a trend.
By Joel Topcik
