Industry Moves: NBCU Appoints GE Marketing Exec Comstock As President, NBCU Digital Media and Marke

Updated: Once again, NBCU is tweaking the executive structure; at the TV group, it’s more about titles and organizational ; at Digital, it’s a new position and an emphasis on marketing. It’s all about digital, well, that and fixing NBC’s prime time. NBCU Chairman and CEO Bob Wright: “These moves help position NBCU for continued growth and accelerate our transition to a digital media company. … We are in a fast-moving, quickly evolving industry and this is the perfect time to adjust our management structure for maximum efficiency and teamwork.” (On further reflection, the changes at TV can’t be overestimated — Jeff Zucker’s consolidation of power and responsbility puts him above nearly everyone in NBCU, including former direct reports to Wright. If he pulls this off, he’ll likely follow Wright.)

The big news for Digital is the newly created position of President, NBCU Digital Media and Market Development, which will be filled by Beth Comstock, formerly SVP-NBC Communications and most recently CMO of GE. She will report directly to Wright and will be “accountable” both for NBCU’s digital strategy and content/distribution onto new platforms. Her responsibilities include digital media, strategic marketing, television research, television advertising and promotion and communications. Comstock definitely knows the mantra: “Our goal is to make NBCU’s content available how and where consumers want it, and provide the targeted, integrated experience marketers seek.” Press release.

Jeff Zucker has been appointed CEO witrh primary focus on content while Randy Falco moves up to president and COO of an integrated NBCU Television Group. The new group intergrates content, television stations, operations, sales and distribution — and puts Sports and Olympics under Zucker.

Placing Comstock next to Zucker in the report structure clearly denotes digital’s importance alongside TV in NBCU’s present and future plans. It’s not the equal of TV (yet) but it is too important to be viewed as just another piece of the television puzzle. Update: To clarify, Comstock’s role encompasses digital, marketing and communications, so she will not be doing digital full time.
More to come, including the whereabouts of Deborah Reif, just appointed last April to the newly created position of president, digital media. Update: No official word but I gather Reif, who spent more than 30 years with GE before moving to NBCU, first as evp-financial structuring and then to head digital, will be returning to the mother ship in a new role.

Related: NBC U Names New Digital Head

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