Thompson Leaving Golf Channel

Executive returning to Comcast

By Jon Lafayette -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/10/2010 5:13:11 PM

Golf Channel President Page Thompson is leaving the network and returning to parent company Comcast Corp., a network spokesman confirmed.

Comcast is seeking regulatory approval to acquire NBC Universal, and it is expected the NBC Sports and Olympics Chairman Dick Ebersol will be given responsibility over some Comcast sports programming assets, including the Golf Channel.

A source familiar with the situation said Thompson chose to move for personal reasons. He will relocate from the Golf Channel's base in Orlando back to Philadelphia, where Comcast is based. The source also confirmed that Thompson will take up a more senior position with the corporation, though details weren't available.

Thompson is expected to continue to run the channel until later this year, when a new president is named. But Comcast may not want to name someone to run Golf Channel until the NBC Universal deal is completed.

Thompson was named president of Golf Channel in 2007. He had been senior VP and general manager of video services for Comcast. He led the launch of Comcast's Video on Demand platform in 2004.

The story was first reported by Sports Business Daily.