• by Wayne Friedman , David Goetzl , February 16, 2007

In the strongest signal yet that NBC Universal is fiercely committed to a future where revenues from emerging platforms are as important as--or perhaps trump--traditional media, the company has tapped its top digital-media executive to oversee all ad sales operations.

Beth Comstock, who has no previous experience running television sales, has been appointed president of NBC Universal Integrated Media--where she will head sales for two broadcast networks, a slew of cable channels and all digital outlets.

The move may be the beginning of a trend.

Michael Pilot, the newly named NBCU president of ad sales who will report to Comstock, also had no TV sales experience before joining the company from parent General Electric's equipment-finance operations.

It's also another vote of confidence for Comstock, who as chief marketing officer at GE led the jettisoning of its age-old tagline: "We Bring Good Things to Life" before returning to NBC, where she was a top communications executive.

Her new position is clearly aimed at expanding integrated, multiplatform ad deals for NBU, which expects $1 billion in digital revenues by 2009. The move melds Comstock's expertise in sales opportunities in the digital space with her new responsibilities covering NBC's bread-and-butter TV operations. She was president of digital media and market development.

"This is just about the continued integration of digital, traditional and offline," says Andy Donchin, executive vice president of national broadcast for Carat USA.

While Comstock may be new to a top TV sales role, she did buy loads of TV time in her role as GE's chief marketing officer, and oversaw sales development there. She is believed to be the first ex-CMO to ever take over TV sales at a major broadcast network.

The move was one of several that NBCU announced Thursday as part of a realignment implemented by new President-CEO Jeff Zucker.

Jeff Gaspin has been named president of NBCU cable and digital content, and Marc Graboff was promoted to president of NBC's West Coast television operations.

Comstock's sales oversight includes NBC and Telemundo; cable outlets such as USA, Bravo and CNBC; along with Web sites, mobile and other platforms affiliated with those properties. And she'll continue to oversee iVillage--the Web site whose acquisition she spearheaded last year.

Also reporting to Comstock will be ad sales marketing and research operations, and she will continue to oversee digital media. A level under Comstock, Pilot--who worked with her when the two were at GE--adds oversight of ad sales marketing to his portfolio. Research president Alan Wurtzel and Chief Digital Officer George Kliavkoff also will report to Comstock.

Zucker has set the bar high for Comstock--forecasting in December that NBCU could bring in $1 billion in digital revenue in 2009. That's on top of reinvigorating sales at NBC, which has undergone two straight lackluster upfronts.

Like Zucker, who rose to the top post at NBCU from a researcher at NBC Sports, Comstock's impressive ascent has roots in a publicist role at NBC she started in 1986--the same year Zucker joined the company.

Gaspin was president of cable entertainment, digital content and cross-network strategy. The role encompasses both content and distribution for cable channels, which have been a bright spot for NBCU, as the flagship network's prime-time ratings and revenues have suffered. In addition to Bridget Baker, who heads distribution for all cable outlets, the programming chiefs for USA, Sci-Fi, Bravo and newer outlets Universal HD and horror channel Chiller, among others, will report to Gaspin.

Save iVillage, Gaspin also oversees content on all entertainment Web sites from NBC.com to the new pop culture site gettrio.com.

Graboff is now the all-encompassing point person on developing and marketing English-language broadcast TV content. He will oversee Kevin Reilly, the top programmer at NBC; Angela Bromstad, who heads the NBCU studio that has developed hits such as "The Office" for NBC and "House" for Fox; and John Miller, president of the in-house ad agency and CMO for NBCU television.