Comcast shuffled the deck at its programming and content-acquisition groups Tuesday.
One of the major changes came at the Comcast Programming Group, the unit with the company’s cable networks, which is led by president Jeff Shell.
Bill Bridgen, who previously served as executive vice president of network distribution for Comcast Programming, will now move over to Comcast SportsNet, reporting to that network’s president, Jon Litner.
Bridgen will help to develop the company’s growing roster of regional sports networks, which collectively serve more than 27 million viewers in leading sports markets across the country.
Alan Dannenbaum will succeed Bridgen as executive VP of network distribution. Dannenbaum, who previously served as senior VP of content acquisition for Comcast, will oversee the distribution team for the company’s programming entities, including E! Entertainment Television, Style, The Golf Channel, Versus, G4, AZN Television, PBS Kids Sprout, FEARnet, ExerciseTV and the regional Comcast SportsNets. He will report to Shell.
Shell also named Earl Marshall VP of business development for the programming group. Marshall, who previously served as senior director for Comcast’s corporate-development group, will lead a team responsible for the expansion of the company’s current network properties and will work with the company’s existing networks in evaluating new-media opportunities. Marshall will report to Joe Donnelly, chief financial officer of the programming group.
“We’ve promoted several senior leaders to new roles where they are now positioned to help grow Comcast’s networks,” Shell said in a prepared statement. “Bill’s expertise in sports, network management and affiliate relations will contribute tremendously to our growing SportsNet businesses; Alan’s expertise and reputation in affiliate relations will expand distribution opportunities; and Earl’s business-development acumen will enable us to continue to leverage new cross-platform development opportunities.”
There were also changes and promotions announced by Matt Bond, Comcast’s executive VP of content acquisition.
Jennifer Gaiski was promoted to senior VP of content acquisition. Gaiski, who most recently served as VP of content acquisition, will continue to negotiate and administer programming contracts and coordinate the company’s nationwide field operations and financial commitments, as well as managing programming for Comcast’s partnership properties.
Allan Singer will succeed Dannenbaum as senior VP of content acquisition. Singer will license programming content for distribution on Comcast cable systems, including cable networks and broadcast-television stations.
In addition, Matthew Strauss was named senior VP of new media. Strauss, who most recently served as senior VP of content acquisition and development, will continue to manage the development and acquisition of nonlinear video-programming services, and will also assume responsibility for developing content for Comcast’s Internet properties.
“Allan, Matt and Jennifer are exceptional leaders and respected throughout our industry,” Bond said in a prepared statement. “They are a dynamic team with unsurpassed experience, which will be invaluable as we continue to develop and deploy cross-platform features and services.”
Gaiski, Singer and Strauss will all report to Bond.
