NBCU Lays off Ad Sales Staffers

NBCUniversal has laid off about 3.5% of its advertising sales staff following a recent reorganization.

About two dozen positions overlapped after president of sales Linda Yaccarino last month announced a new way to array the company's asset into four groups: mass reach entertainment, lifestlyle, live programming and digital.
An NBCU spokesperson declined to comment.

At the time of the announcement, NBCU said it had expanded its creative marketing unit, which works with clients.

"In an effort to maximize the power and potential of our portfolio, now we are putting in place the strategic leaders who will continue to position us for growth and provide opportunities for our customers like no other media company can," Yaccarino, said in a statement when the reorganization was announced. "In a world of growing fragmentation and as scale has become more and more elusive, we've clustered our networks to capitalize on the strength of our assets. Also, I'm excited to expand our creative marketing offerings by developing a new center of marketing excellence and innovation for our clients."

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.