NBCUniversal is restructing its executive team, with Bonnie Hammer assuming responsibility for the entire cable entertainment portfolio and Lauren Zalaznick, who had previously overseen properties, including Bravo, Oxygen and Style, moving to a new role focusing on digital, monetization and emerging technology.
Additionally, NBCU is bringing on Joe Uva, the former president and CEO of Univision Communications, in the new role of chairman, Hispanic enterprises and content, overseeing Telemundo and mun2.
Hammer and Zalaznick will begin their new roles immediately, while Uva starts his new job on April 3. All three will serve on NBCU’s executive committee and report to CEO Steve Burke.
With the promotion, Hammer adds oversight of Bravo, Oxygen, Style, Sprout and TV One to her portfolio hat already included USA, Syfy, E!, G4, Cloo, Chiller, Universal HD, Universal Cable Productions and Wilshire Studios. Hammer’s oversight will now represent 50% of the company’s operating cash flow, according to a memo sent by Burke.
Zalaznick, who becomes executive vice president, NBCU, will focus on innovation, digital, monetization and emerging technology, including TV Everywhere and alternative windowing strategies. NBCU digital properties Fandandgo will continue to report to her and she will remain involved with sales an marketing in the Integrated Media Group that includes Women at NBCU and Hispanics at NBCU.
Uva will be tasked with expanding NBCU’s Hispanic franchise, as well as increasing the presence of Hispanic content in its network and platforms. “Our programming needs to be reflective of our nation’s 50 million Hispanics,” Burke said. Emiliano Romano, president of Telemundo and mun2, will now report to Uva.
The consolidation in the cable entertainment group follows similar moves for NBCU’s sports and news businesses under Comcast leadership. Last January, Burke consolidated NBC News, MSNBC and CNBC under the NBC News Group under Pat Fili-Krushel. NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBC Sports Network and Golf Channel were similarly put under the NBC SportsGroup umbrella in 2011.
