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The line to leave NBCU because of the Comcast-GE-NBCU merger forms here. Granted that a lot of executives either have their resumes out or are being head-hunted for key jobs. Latest is Lauren Zalaznick, the President of NBC Universal’s Women and Lifestyle Entertainment Networks who oversees Bravo and Oxygen. Sources tell me she’s in advanced talks to take Brian Graden’s big job as MTV President of Entertainment running MTV and VH1. It’s been vacant since June. As one of my insiders explains, “Word is that post-merger there’ll be no upward mobility for her there.” Zalaznick isn’t just tops in women’s TV but should fit in just swell programming MTV swill since she’s been responsible for such trashy shows like Real Housewives, Bad Girls, and Tori & Dean .
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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I dealt with her on a project three years ago. She’s a total class act. I wish her the best.
really, we had the exact experience…..
What’s going to happen to the deadweight marketing at E and Style?
If she can get them both to finally start playing VIDEOS again I’m all for it.
MTV = Music Television Videos
VH1 = Video Hits 1
Isn’t that false advertising? An oxymoron for sure!
I can pretty much guarantee you that ship sailed long ago. Want music videos? YouTube.
Uh, the “TV” in “MTV” stands for “Television” not “Television Video”, genius.
Interesting comment and I it would be great to watch video’s and more programming to remind us of all the great music that has been introduced to us over the years. Thanks for your comment.
If it gets Bravo and Oxygen to be less queer, then I’m all for it!
Brilliant choice.
1) Amazing taste when it comes to content and knowing what works. (Boy does VH1 need this)
2) Knows how to promote and market. (Boy does MTV need this.)
3) Spent a few years at VH1 early on in her TV career running production and promos. Knows the landscape and players.
4) Loved by her troops.
A huge loss for the Peacock–or whatever the new entity will be called. Zucks to be Lil Jeffie. Frankly, they deserve every last little bit of hubris they’ve got coming to them.
Every day, I thank the PTB that I sold all my GE stock the day I left their employ. But I’m still mourning the great place it was, until that miserable bullet-headed dwarf took control and wrung $17b of value out of what was once the strongest brand in entertainment.
I love this post. It wins the oscar for best comment of 2009 as far as I’m concerned.
Lauren Zalaznick is one of the most talented executives in the business, and a nice person to boot. Wherever she goes she will bring originality, have a loyal staff, and do great things.
MTV = Music TeleVision
hey genius,
shed some light on this…
WHY DO YOU WANT MTV to play music videos? You can view anything you want online at your discretion. It’s at your fingertips w/ youtube, itunes, etc. Why would you want some programmer putting music on television for you where you have no control?
I just don’t understand this broken record of “MTV doesn’t play videos.” Please explain.
I want MTV to play videos again because it was fun.
There is no way a network goes backwards. They can’t make money airing videos. VH1 Classic barely does it anymore now that they have advertising.
Interesting if that’s true because she has a much bigger job now. At NBCU she runs two cable networks as well as a huge digital portfolio. If she’s getting Graden’s old job it’s just a programming gig. If they are finally getting rid of Van Toffler and giving her oversight of the music networks, then that is a whole different story. Judy McGrath once said it was a huge mistake for MTVN to fire Lauren (she got fired from VH1 in 2001). Maybe Judy’s finally decided to get rid of Van. It’s certainly about time if that happened.
Well, maybe Bravo and Oxygen won’t be as queer-friendly as they are now…
MORE QUEER PROGRAMMING! MORE! MORE! MORE!
Videos please! My god bring back the videos!
I did have a moment of hope for MTV & VH1 until I came to the last sentence about her involvement in the moronification of american TV.
I agree with the writer, can they not just let go of the “Music” part of the channels name?
Maybe call it the channel for “Unscripted Acting By Aspiring Gossip Fodder”.
This makes no sense. Tony DiSanto already has two new hits under his belt, JERSEY SHORE and TEEN MOM. Dave Sirulnick continues to run MTV News and Docs and Steve Tseckares was just brought in as a current events/day to day programmer. How many more programmers does the channel need? And who would report to who?
Paw… can you seriously write that Jersey Shore and Teen Mom are “hits”? Really? Those people have had too much time to get it right and failed. As hard as it is to hope for someone to lose their gig, it’s time for a big sweeping change at MTV. But aside from those people, what about David Jannollari? Wasn’t he coming in to be the programming savior? It’s awful quiet on the DJ Deal Making front, don’t you think?
They each delivered a 2+ rating this week on the sweet spot demo for their first run episodes – that’s a hit in the cable world. JERSEY has generated enough publicity this week to double that rating next week. As for Janollari, that deal doesn’t seem to be moving too quickly, if it was ever real in the first place. Stay tuned for next week’s savior rumor.
JERSEY SHORE was inherited by MTV from VH1 after Ryan Jenkins killed his wife and subsequently stuffed her in a suitcase. VH1 had too much heat so they had to give JERSEY SHORE to MTV. BTW – it is based on this Oxygen or E show – JERSEY SHORE UNLEASHED. As for 16 AND PREGNANT and PREGNANT MOM is the brain child of Laura Dolgen. She created and developed those two shows. Lauren Z. is an amazing force who will be able to revive and rebrand the network which is what MTV truly needs.
Interesting comments, EK. VH1 can’t be feeling too much heat, they’ve got another cycle of RAY J up and running. Looks like VH1 chose the wrong horse in the race, if ratings are the metric of success. As for Lauren Dolgen, don’t confuse the EP/development exec with the boss.
Sure Genius,and by that logic Fuse should be a ratings juggernaut. No one tunes in for music videos when they’re on demand at their fingertips. Capturing the youth audience is a tricky little business.
MTV and VH1 no more stand for what their acronyms originally meant than AMC stands for American Movie Classics.
I’ve worked for them all, and you are absolutely correct!
Genius move
Great taste-level
MTV Net experience
Great marketer
As Nikki notes, this woman is the undisputed Queen of Mindless Swill, not to mention a master (mistress?) of self-promotion. MTV/VH-1 and Lauren Zalaznick, like David Hasselhoff and Pamela Bach, deserve each other.
Hey Z — Look! The dash! hahahaha
Hopefully she will make the bold moves that are LONG overdue at MTV. If we go back to 1984 when MTV launched, the reason they played music videos was because they were free. Friday Night Videos started it all in syndication. Then Big Ted realized he could have a whole channel with free programming (nice!). So all he did was do radio on TV. Not genius, just taking advantage of an opportunity. The demo MTV now pursues (8-18 girls and some boys) want new things all the time…ALL the time. So MTV needs a LOT of programming people to maintain the churn their audience demands.
They also have a big responsibility and opportunity to own the music lifestyle market and that includes setting the bar higher for discovering and exposing new music talent. They should be nipping at the heels of Idol in some way and they’re not even close. They have done a very poor job of innovation compared to what they were doing in the 90′s. The deals used to stink (not that they’re much better now!), but when you had a show at MTV it was usually something REALLY different and exciting. It was a huge status symbol to be in business with MTV. You were “cool” if you had a show there and everyone at the other networks wanted to be in business with you because they thought you were something special.
But unfortunately during the last decade, their programming department became like all the other corporate creatives at all the other networks, they’re now conditioned and encouraged to play it safe. MTV can not have a renaissance until they take some real chances. It is shocking they have not been able to create any type of compelling, new viewing experience using all the various platforms. Their audience so craves it and they have just dropped the ball.
Good luck to Lauren (if it works out). MTV is one of the top brands in the world and if she is able to marshal all the resources of Viacom the way she did Bravo, Sumner and Judy will be very, very happy.
The M was changed from “music” to “moronic” years ago. Did no one get the memo?
If she leaves, the line of sycophants that worship at this woman’s altar following her out the door will be too long to count. She’s best at intimidation, self promotion, bullying, and recycling the same concept over and over. People who manage by fear eventually fall flat.
lauren zalaznick did not have a creative thought in her brain when she worked at vh1. i know i worked at mtv. knew her. nice girl – so what?
bravo – she allowed/created/oversaw all the housewives shows. the “woman” in new jersey throwing over a table in new jersey cause she got mad? best friends on other housewives shows trashing their bff. the housewives all have fake breasts. not a big deal? my 14 year old niece wants fake ones cause they have em on housewives and so do their children! Fantastic!
that type of programming is not healthy for young girls. i know mtv has idiotic shows like “jersey shore” and “the city” but why continue the sickness at mtv?
read part of what grew wrote – having a show on MTV used to be a big deal. they never promoted their shows but young kids found them and they loved them.
how do i know? i created and exec produced one for over a decade. a coon’s age in television.
judy mcgrath, doug herzog and dave sirulnick are 3 of the smartest people in the television industry. c’mon – don’t hire another hack.
peace
Comcast-NBUC is leaving their cable ship to Bonnie Hammer!?! Yea, I’d jump ship, too. One more thing, welcome back to VH-1!!!
I bet Hirschorn is regretting the day he ever left. It could have all been his.
Even the curtains.
More dashes! They keep coming! Fifteen years and counting…
Lauren Zalaznick is NOT a class act – she rules by fear and is totally consumed by press – her own.