Romano Named Telemundo President
EVP of network news Escobar resigns
By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/21/2011 12:16:50 PM
Emilio Romano has been named president of Telemundo. He starts in October and succeeds Don Browne, who retired in June.Separately, on the heels of announcing Romano's appointment, Telemundo has confirmed that
Ramon Escobar, the Spanish language broadcaster's executive vice president of network news and a rising star at the network, resigned earlier this month to "pursue other opportunities in the news, media and digital industries."
Escobar had been brought on board at WTVJ Miami in the mid-'90s by Browne, who he considered a mentor.
Romano will lead Telemundo's broadcast network; its 14 owned stations; its entertainment division; Telemundo Studios; the news and sports divisions; Telemundo International; Telemundo's Digital Media group; cable channel mun2; and the network's sales and marketing units.
"Emilio is the ideal executive to lead Telemundo as we continue to build -n our record breaking performances this year," said Lauren Zalaznick, chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated Media, to whom he will report. "His extensive knowledge of Hispanic media combined with a proven track record running large-scale businesses will be a great addition to the Telemundo management team. We will benefit greatly from his expertise across multiple media platforms -- particularly in the Mexican market -- as we continue to broaden Telemundo's overall appeal."
Romano has held leadership positions in everything from media to Internet to aviation. During the late 90s, he was Grupo Televisa's director of mergers & acquisitions and later vice president of international operations. From 1995 to 1998, he was on the board at Univision Communications. Romano also was responsible for Televisa's operations outside of Mexico.
From 2004 to 2007 he was CEO at the airline Grupo Mexicana de Aviación.
"I am honored to be part of the transformation taking place within the U.S. Hispanic media market," Romano said. "As reflected in the latest U.S. Census and the dramatic increase in both viewership and advertising within the Hispanic community these past few years, this exciting market is well poised for explosive growth. Telemundo has found in NBCUniversal and Comcast the ideal partners to leverage this growth and continue to build a world-class media company that will inform, educate, inspire and entertain Hispanic viewers in the U.S. and audiences around the world."
A native of Mexico City, Romano resides in Miami.
Meanwhile, Telemundo says it has not named Escobar's successor and that Escobar is working with the company on the transition.
"Ramon has played a key role in the growth of Telemundo Noticias. His expertise in news and media, as well as his intimate insights into the Hispanic culture in the U.S. and abroad, made him a great partner," Telemundo said.
Escobar, 42, was named to the executive VP position in February 2010. He'd previously held senior VP roles in Telemundo's entertainment and station group divisions.
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