Jennifer Salke Named NBC Entertainment President

Exec joins net from 20th Century Fox Television

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/13/2011 3:31:22 PM

As previously speculated, Twentieth TV's Jennifer Salke has officially been named president of NBC Entertainment, the network said Wednesday. The appointment is effective immediately.

She fills the position left vacant by the departure ofAngela Bromstad in January as part of the post-Comcast merger restructuring. While Salke will not oversee Universal Media Studios, as Bromstad did, she will be responsible for primetime and daytime programming at the network, reporting to NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt. The drama development, comedydevelopment, current programming, and casting departments of the entertainment division will all report to her.

Salke had been executive VP of creative affairs at Twentieth Century Fox Television since 2006, during which time she helped develop thestudio's two biggest recent hits, Glee and Modern Family. She also developed two of NBC's upcoming series, The Playboy Club and Awake, both of whichwere accelerated after Greenblatt took over at the network last January.

"There is no one in the television business more perfect for this job than Jennifer Salke," said Greenblatt in a statement. "I've known and worked with her for many years and have the utmost respect for her creative instincts, her relationships with talent of all kinds, and probably most of all, her taste... This is truly a significant moment for NBC as we continue to rebuild the network from top to bottom and put together the best possible team."

Salke began at 20^th TV in 2002 as senior VP of drama development after a short stint in a similar position at Sony Pictures Television. She started her career at Aaron Spelling Productions where she first worked with Greenblatt, who was then at Fox Broadcasting, on such series as Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place.