Hammer to Oversee All NBCU Cable Entertainment Networks in Restructuring

Zalaznick moved to new digital role; Joe Uva joins to lead Hispanic content

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/4/2013 3:40:56 PM

NBCUniversal on Monday announced a restructuring of its executive team, with Bonnie Hammer assuming responsibility for its entire cable entertainment portfolio and Lauren Zalaznick, who had previously overseen networks including Bravo, Oxygen and Style, moving to a new role focusing on digital, monetization and emerging technology.

Additionally, NBCU is bringing on Joe Uva in the new role of chairman, Hispanic enterprises and content, overseeing Telemundo and mun2. Uva was most recently president and CEO of Univision Communications.

Hammer and Zalaznick will begin their new roles immediately, with Uva starting on April 3. All three will serve on NBCU's executive committee and report to NBCU CEO Steve Burke.

"Now, more than ever, we need to simplify our organization and take advantage of the breadth of our assets," Burke said in the announcement.  "At the same time, we need to focus more on innovation and emerging technologies. These organization changes are designed to do just that."

The consolidation to the newly named Cable Entertainment Group follows similar moves for NBCU's sports and news businesses under Comcast leadership. Last July, 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 Sports Group umbrella under Mark Lazarus in 2011.

With the promotion, Hammer adds oversight of Bravo, Oxygen, Style, Sprout and TV One to her portfolio which 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 Burke.

Zalaznick, who becomes executive VP, NBCU, will focus on innovation, digital, monetization and emerging technology, including TV Everywhere and alternative windowing strategies. She will also help develop NBCU's consumer products strategy, following her involvement in rebranding Bravo Media, Oxygen Media and Style Media into multiplatform assets.

NBCU digital properties Fandango and Daily Candy will continue to report to Zalaznick and she will remain involved with sales and marketing in the Integrated Media Group, which 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 content targeted to the country's 50 million Hispanics in all of its network and platforms, "so our coverage better represents this shifting landscape," Burke said. Emiliano Romano, president of Telemundo and mun2, will now report to Uva.