Universal TV studio chief Pearlena Igbokwe to oversee NBC Entertainment
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Television studio head Pearlena Igbokwe gained new turf in the latest reorganization at NBCUniversal.
On Thursday, NBCUniversal Studios and Entertainment Chairman Donna Langley unveiled a streamlined leadership structure that elevates Igbokwe to chairman of NBC Entertainment, historically one of the most coveted jobs in television. Igbokwe will be responsible for NBC’s programming, including late-night, live events and specials.
She will continue to manage the company’s television studios, including Universal Television, maker of “Law & Order: SVU” for NBC, “Hacks” for HBO and “The Day of the Jackal” for Peacock.
Igbokwe has been in charge of Universal Television since 2016. She also will be responsible for on scripted originals for the fledgling streamer Peacock.
As part of the move, programming executive Frances Berwick was handed a smaller portfolio.
Top NBCUniversal executives Mark Lazarus, Cesar Conde and Mark Woodbury received bigger portfolios. Susan Rovner, who oversaw television programming, is leaving the company.
New York-based Berwick had been in charge of NBC’s original content, program strategy and operations of six cable entertainment networks. But her role has been in flux since Langley moved to consolidate control over the past year and after Comcast announced plans to spin off most of its cable TV channels into a separate publicly traded company later this year.
Berwick spent more than 25 years building Bravo into a saucy reality TV hit-making machine, with such shows as “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” “Real Housewives” and “Love Island.”
She now returns to her former role as Bravo’s chief, and also will lead Peacock’s unscripted TV unit.
“This new structure will bring together our Television Studios, NBC Entertainment, Bravo and Peacock programming as one cohesive organization,” Langley said in a statement.
Langley also tapped Liz Jenkins, chief business officer, to shore up content strategy, TV acquisitions and business operations.
As scrutiny mounts on reality TV, stars from Bravo’s ‘Real Housewives’ franchises, ‘Love Is Blind’ and ‘The Challenge’ say the industry needs to change.
Jenny Storms also got a promotion, becoming chief marketing officer for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.
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