• by Wayne Friedman , David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, December 5, 2006

As expected (previously reported in MediaDailyNews, Dec. 1.), GE industrial side executive Michael Pilot will take over for Keith Turner as the president of advertising sales for NBC Universal Television Group, marking the first time a non-veteran has taken over as head of sales for a major broadcast network.

Pilot's second in command will be Edward Swindler, who has been promoted to a new position, chief operating officer of the NBC Universal Television's advertising sales group. He had been executive vice president at NBC Universal TV Group.

Pilot and Swindler effectively take the spots of Turner and his boss, Randy Falco, who was president and COO of NBC Universal Television Group, and left the company recently to become chairman/CEO of AOL. Pilot, a GE executive officer since 2002, had been president/CEO of the Equipment Finance Group, a unit of GE Commercial Finance.

Some advertising and media executives have pondered Pilot's lack of TV experience in selling TV advertising time. But NBC executives were quick to defend their decision--saying that Pilot will bring a new perspective to the job.

"His coming in and bringing new ideas with a team in place that knows the industry well. He will allow us to approach things differently," says Jeff Zucker, chairman of NBC Universal Television Group, at a New York media conference on Monday.

In the wake of David Zaslav, president of NBCU Cable & Domestic Television and New Media Distribution, departing to become chairman/CEO of Discovery Communications, senior executives Jay Ireland and Marc Graboff will get new responsibilities.

Ireland, president, NBCU TV Stations and Network Operations, will add oversight of Telemundo, NBC Network Affiliate Relations, and NBC Network Operations. These were areas previously overseen by Falco. Ireland also adds oversight of domestic first-run syndication of TV programming, previously overseen by Zaslav. Ireland reports to Jeff Zucker, CEO, NBC Universal Television Group.

Graboff, president, NBC Universal Television West Coast, will take on responsibility for Domestic TV Distribution. Barry Wallach is president, NBC Universal Domestic TV Distribution.

The Telemundo Stations Group, and Ibra Morales, president, Telemundo Stations Group, will now report to Don Browne, president of Telemundo Network. Morales had reported to Falco.

John Eck, president, Media Works and chief information officer, NBC Universal, will now report to Bob Wright, CEO of NBC Universal and vice chairman of GE. Eck's responsibilities include information technology, television and studio facility operations, engineering and real estate across all TV and cable properties.