NBCUniversal Reorganizes TV Group Under Pearlena Igbokwe, Frances Berwick

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NBCUniversal is undertaking a major reorganization of its TV business.

Donna Langley, now holding the position of chairman at NBCUniversal Entertainment and Studios, revealed on Thursday a major restructuring plan. In her message to employees, she stated that several departments such as TV studios, NBC Entertainment, Bravo, and Peacock will be consolidated into one entity known as Universal Television Entertainment Group. This new group aims to foster collaboration, simplify decision-making processes, and boost our capacity to provide exceptional television entertainment globally by integrating marketing and content strategy. The full memo can be found below for your reference.

Pearlena Igbokwe, chair of Universal Studio Group, will now manage both the scripted content for NBC’s broadcast network and streaming platform Peacock, in her role as chairman of television studios at NBC Entertainment and Peacock Scripted. On the other hand, Frances Berwick, current chairman of NBCU Entertainment, will take charge of Bravo and unscripted programming at Peacock, a move that sees her return to the network she previously led. Additionally, Corie Henson, executive vice president of unscripted content, competition, and game shows at NBCU, has decided to leave the company.

Moreover, the role of Liz Jenkins as Chief Business Officer expands to include content strategy, TV acquisitions, strategy development, and business operations for both the entertainment and studio divisions. On the other hand, Jenny Storms, who is currently the Chief Marketing Officer for Entertainment and Sports, will now take on the position of CMO for NBCU Television & Streaming.

Independently, it was announced by NBCUniversal’s Chief Operating Officer, Adam Miller, that Jen Friedman has been promoted to the role of Chief Communications Officer within the organization.

The moves are being made as NBC Universal (owned by Comcast) is planning to separate the majority of its cable networks, leaving Bravo behind, into a new company led by Mark Lazarus. This new entity, temporarily named SpinCo, will encompass news channels CNBC and MSNBC, USA Network, Syfy, E!, Oxygen True Crime, and Golf Channel.

NBC Universal is the most recent among the significant traditional media conglomerates to revamp its television operations, mirroring significant transformations at Paramount and Disney over the past few months. Similarly, Warner Bros. Discovery has initiated measures to divide its television network collection from its studio enterprise.

In 2023, Langley, who had managed NBCU’s film division for several years, expanded her responsibilities to include television and streaming services. She was subsequently promoted to the position of Chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment and Studios in November 2024.

According to a memo from Langley, the establishment of this team demonstrates the exceptional skillset we possess at NBCUniversal. United by our common goals and bolstered by our collective knowledge, we are ideally positioned to pioneer creativity and groundbreaking ideas within our fast-paced industry. This will enable us to capitalize on business growth while continuously satisfying viewers on multiple platforms.

Langley’s memo is below.

Team,

After the unveiling of SpinCo’s management team, Matt Strauss and I have been collaborating to articulate a coherent plan for the future. This plan aims to optimize cooperation between NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios and the NBCUniversal Media Group in the most efficient manner possible. Today, Matt is revealing his leadership team, and I am thrilled to reveal that we will be establishing a fresh entity called the Universal Television Entertainment Group. This new group will leverage the existing leaders within our television division to strengthen our television portfolio.

This reorganization unites our Television Studios, NBC Entertainment, Bravo, and Peacock content under a single, coordinated structure. This consolidation is supported by combined Marketing and Content Strategy departments for improved collaboration. The goal is to expedite decision-making processes, foster unity, and ultimately boost our capacity to offer top-tier television entertainment to viewers around the globe.

This team will be headed by Frances Berwick, Pearlena Igbokwe, Liz Jenkins, and Jenny Storms. The roles of each member are as follows, with each of them reporting to me:

* Frances Berwick is responsible for Area A.
* Pearlena Igbokwe oversees Area B.
* Liz Jenkins takes care of Area C.
* Jenny Storms manages Area D.

Each will report directly to me.

  • Frances Berwick assumes the role of Chairman, Bravo & Peacock Unscripted, where she will continue to oversee first run syndication and unscripted programming across Bravo and Peacock including documentaries, true crime, and tentpoles such as Emmy winner The Traitors and Love Island. Frances has been an integral part of the legacy of Bravo which in turn has become essential to our growth strategy.  Bravo houses some of the most talked about series on the planet and its superfan base continues to grow year-over-year and is expanding into new markets with sold-out events such as BravoCon.  
  • Pearlena Igbokwe has been named Chairman, Television Studios, NBC Entertainment & Peacock Scripted.  In this role Pearlena will continue to lead Universal Studio Group overseeing our world-class library of television series from Universal Television, UCP, Universal International Studios and Universal Television Alternative Studio.  The studio’s slate includes the award-winning Hacks and the global hit The Day of the Jackal.  In addition, Pearlena will now oversee NBC Entertainment, including scripted, unscripted, late-night, live events and specials, as well as all scripted originals for Peacock.
  • Liz Jenkins, in her role as Chief Business Officer, will now oversee Content Strategy, TV Acquisitions, Strategy and Business Operations across the Entertainment and Studio Groups. In this capacity, Liz will shepherd process around TV & Streaming greenlight and identify emerging opportunities to drive growth.  She will also partner closely with Matt and his teams to provide connective tissue with the Media Group, organizing efforts across our functional operating teams to ensure alignment and enhance collaboration.
  • Jenny Storms becomes Chief Marketing Officer, NBCUniversal Television & Streaming and will lead the brand strategy, integrated marketing, media and consumer engagement for all entertainment content and sports, including content and brand marketing for Peacock.  In her expanded role, Jenny will partner closely with the Media Group to help shape seamless and innovative consumer engagement across the ecosystem. Jenny will also continue to transform our NBCU marketing discipline leading our company-wide Symphony efforts and chair the NBCUniversal Marketing Council.  She will build on the success of the Paris Olympics as we prepare for the much-anticipated launch of the NBA on NBC and Peacock.

Over the next few weeks, the existing Entertainment & Studios HQ team will collaborate closely with the fresh television entertainment executive group to synchronize their respective departments. The top management of this new team consists of:

– Jimmy Horowitz, who serves as Chairman for Business Affairs and Operations;
– Pete Levinsohn, holding the position of Chairman, Global Distribution;
– Lissa Freed, leading People & Culture as Head;
– Evan Langweiler, serving in the role of Executive Vice President for Global Communications;
– Chris Miller, functioning as General Counsel; and,
– Adam Moysey, taking on the responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer.

It’s evident that the creation of this team showcases the remarkable skillset we possess at NBCUniversal. Together with our shared perspective and collective knowledge, we are ready to pioneer in our vibrant sector by delivering creativity and groundbreaking ideas. This will enable us to capitalize on business growth prospects and captivate audiences through various mediums.

As a gamer, I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude to every team working diligently as we move towards the new structure of NBCUniversal. In the upcoming weeks and months, we’ll keep you posted with more updates as we collaborate with the SpinCo planning team. This transition won’t happen overnight, so please bear with us as we stay committed to fulfilling our current objectives.

I appreciate your unwavering dedication towards our achievements. Collectively, we’re constructing something truly remarkable.

Best,

Donna

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2025-01-23 23:26