In an email to staff, President Luis Silberwasser today announced Jesús Torres Viera has been named EVP, Entertainment for Telemundo and NBCUniverso networks.
This is a title change with added responsibilities for Torres Viera, who has been EVP of Programming and Content for Telemundo network since 2013. He’ll now also oversee NBCUniverso’s programming and marketing with Bilai Joa Silar, SVP of Programming, and Flavio Álvarez, VP Creative, reporting directly to him.
The new structure houses marketing and programming for both networks under one executive. It’s also a “realignment” because Telemundo has moved morning show “Un Nuevo Día” from the news to the entertainment department, under Torres Viera’s leadership.
Mari García Márquez, the show’s Executive Producer, will report directly to him. The news content of “Un Nuevo Día” will continue to be produced and overseen by the network news group, now overseen by the recently hired Luis Fernández.
In the email, Silberwasser says the “new structure creates a unified content group focused on building audiences, allowing for a broader resource base, cross fertilization of content and creative ideas across the networks.”
Silberwasser also announced the creation of the Production Management and Services unit, to be led by Claudia Foghini, SVP of Production Strategy, reporting directly to him.
The new unit will provide support to Telemundo and NBCUniverso’s scripted, non-scripted and entertainment productions, working hand-in-hand with representatives from the programming, finance, legal and HR divisions to “enhance internal communication and find synergies and efficiencies for more productive and successful project management across the board.”
Here’s the entire email:
From: Silberwasser, Luis (NBCUniversal)
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2016
Subject: Important Announcement
I am pleased to announce that effective immediately, Jesus Torres Viera has been named EVP, Entertainment for the TELEMUNDO and NBCUNIVERSO Networks.
Jesus will lead the group responsible for programming and marketing for both TELEMUNDO and NBC UNIVERSO, in addition to continue to supervise the production of the Networks’ entertainment shows. Bilai Joa Silar, SVP of Programming, and Flavio Alvarez, VP Creative for NBC UNIVERSO, will both report directly to Jesus.
NBC UNIVERSO started the year with a bang, posting its best performing month since network re-launch, driven by a new strategy, key new programs, and a more consistent scheduling strategy. This new structure creates a unified content group focused on building audiences, allowing for a broader resource base, cross fertilization of content and creative ideas across the networks, and providing for a more coordinated sports programming strategy, in anticipation of the upcoming FIFA World Cup tournaments.
As part of this realignment, TELEMUNDO’s morning show, “Un Nuevo Dia,” will now be part of the entertainment group, under Jesus’s leadership. Mari Garcia Marquez will report directly to Jesus and will work closely with the executive producers of our other entertainment shows to create new content ideas, as well as opportunities for cross promotions for our entire line-up. The news content of “Un Nuevo Dia” will continue to be produced and overseen by Luis Fernandez’s network news group.
Finally, I am excited to announce the creation of the Production Management and Services unit, led by Claudia Foghini, SVP of Production Strategy, reporting directly to me. I am very proud of TELEMUNDO’s drive to innovate and create great content ideas. However, it is equally important that we strengthen our capabilities to execute these ideas with excellence. Under Claudia’s leadership, the new Production Management and Services unit will actively deploy best practices and training, as well as provide support to the different production teams in order to execute projects under the agreed creative, financial and legal parameters. Claudia’s production expertise and relationships across TELEMUNDO, NBC and third parties, will serve us well as we improve our ability to produce a myriad of projects in multiple locations, with many internal and external production partners. Claudia’s current production management team at the Studios will be augmented to support the scripted, non-scripted and entertainment productions at the TELEMUNDO and NBCUNIVERSO networks. In each project, this new unit will work hand-in-hand with representatives from Programming, Finance, Business and Legal Affairs, Production Legal, Human Resources, EHS, and Sourcing to enhance internal communication and find synergies and efficiencies for more productive and successful project management across the board. In addition, Claudia will continue to oversee the operations and productions in Mexico.
The only constant in our industry is change, so we need to keep improving and adapting our structure to be able to face new challenges and to capitalize on the opportunities and dreams we have set for ourselves. This team produced record breaking results in 2015, and I am confident that the changes and additions announced today and in the past few days will help us do it again in 2016 and beyond.