Comcast Pared to 5 Divisions

Comcast Corp. Friday reordered its cable operations to five divisions from six, with each division chief reporting to cable operations head Steve Burke.

Comcast kept the same basic lineup it adopted after absorbing AT&T Broadband on Nov. 18, 2002. But the Mountain and Western divisions have become one new West Division, with Comcast's Northern California group (Bay Area and Central California), plus Colorado, Utah, Washington and Oregon.

Atop the West Division is former Mountain president Brad Dusto. Former Western Division president Joe Fischer becomes senior vice president, telephone implementation, a new job. He reports to Rian Wren, senior vice president and general manager, telephony.

The Southwestern group (formerly the Mountain Division's Southern Region) takes in Southern California, plus systems in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Southwestern continues to be run by Ann Montgomery, reporting to Atlantic Division president Steve Burch.

Unchanged are the Southern Division, headed by John Ridall; the Eastern Division, under Michael Doyle; and the Midwest Division, under Dave Scott.