Today executive
producer Jim Bell will serve as executive producer of NBCUniversal's 2012
London Olympics coverage, it was announced Tuesday.
Bell, a former NBC Sports & Olympics producer, will have
editorial oversight for the Games and work with NBC Olympics President Gary
Zenkel, while continuing to oversee the top-rated Today.
No stranger to the Olympics, Bell spent 16 years with the
division prior to being named EP of Today
in 2005. In 2004, he served as coordinating producer, overseeing almost 100
hours of afternoon and late-night Olympic programming for the Athens Games.
"Jim's unique background in both sports
and news at NBCUniversal makes him the perfect choice to lead our London
Olympics production," said NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus in a
statement. "He knows the people at NBC Sports, the intricacies of the Olympics,
and how to work within NBCUniversal."
