NBC Stations Group Renamed NBC Local Media Division

NEW YORK, November 14: The
NBC Owned-and-Operated Stations Group has been renamed the NBC Local Media
Division, and has announced two key leadership appointments within the unit.

The new name NBC Local
Media Division reflects the group's mission to be a full-service local content
provider for today's digital platforms and highlights its ability to provide
360-degree integrated marketing solutions to the local marketplace.

Brian Buchwald has been
appointed as the senior VP of local digital media and multiplatform, while Mark
French has been tapped as the senior VP and general manager of NBC Everywhere,
a new unit focusing on the company's digital place-based network. Both
appointments are effective immediately, with Buchwald and French reporting
directly to John Wallace, the president of the NBC Local Media Division.

In his new role, Buchwald
will be responsible for developing new business models and enterprises,
including joint ventures, investments and partnership opportunities that extend
NBCU's expertise in local media to a broader geographic footprint. He will also
work closely with the group's general managers to ensure that the core stations
business remains dominant in the growing multiplatform media environment. In
addition, he will explore alternative content production models, as well as new
formats and channels for local content distribution. Buchwald previously led
the distribution partner network for hulu.com and also served as the general
manager of nbbc (National Broadband Company), a digital joint venture that he
co-developed and helped launch in September 2006. He joined NBC Universal in
2005 as the VP of strategy and business development, where he played key roles
in the company's acquisition of iVillage.com and the digital partnership
between Telemundo and Yahoo!

As general manager of NBC
Everywhere, French will focus on expanding NBCU's presence on alternative
distribution platforms through strategic content and advertising partnerships
with a focus on NBC's local markets. He will also work closely with NBC
Universal's sales and marketing groups to integrate the digital out-of-home
offerings into NBCU's 360-degree offerings. French will also work closely with
the NBC Agency and local stations to program the various Out of Home channels.
French rejoined the NBCU Television Stations in 2005 as the director of
multimedia sales and strategic marketing, responsible for developing multimedia
marketing initiatives for the NBC stations. In 2006 he was promoted to senior
director of strategic partnerships.

"Our stations produce
local content for a multitude of platforms beyond their primary channels,
including broadband networks in a variety of genres, multiple digital channels,
and various media platforms outside of the home," said Wallace. “NBC Local
Media better reflects the full scope of our capabilities, as well as our
ability to offer clients a fully-integrated, local media solution across the
full portfolio of our assets."

He added, "Brian and
Mark's new positions highlight our focus on local media expansion beyond the
limits of the traditional television space. I view them as critical to our
success going forward and am delighted to have both Brian and Mark on board to
lead these efforts."

—By Irene Lew