Press release shocker in the TV news world for about :30 seconds this morning, when NBCUniversal sent out this headline:
JEFFREY SCHNEIDER NAMED EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS AFFAIRS FOR NBCUNIVERSAL’S ENTERTAINMENT & DIGITAL NETWORKS AND INTEGRATED MEDIA PORTFOLIO
A shocker because of another Jeffrey Schneider who is SVP of communications for ABC News. A move to NBC would be — while not out of the questions — pretty damn surprising, especially considering the hyper-competitive environment between ABC News and NBC News at the moment — and always.
Schneider — the ABC one — got several congratulatory notes and phone calls from colleagues and reporters in the minutes after the email hit inboxes. He’s since sent a congratulatory note to the other Jeffrey Schneider, whom he has never met.
The full release from NBCU, after the jump.
JEFFREY SCHNEIDER NAMED EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS AFFAIRS FOR NBCUNIVERSAL’S ENTERTAINMENT & DIGITAL NETWORKS AND INTEGRATED MEDIA PORTFOLIO
NEW YORK – July 28, 2011 – NBCUniversal named industry veteran Jeffrey Schneider to the newly created position of Executive Vice President, Business Affairs, Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated Media (E&DN/IM). The position, located in Los Angeles, will report to Salil Mehta, NBCUniversal Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, E&DN/IM. Since 2007, Schneider served as the Senior Vice President, Business Affairs and Deputy General Counsel for Lifetime Television Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of A+E Networks.
“Jeff is the consummate dealmaker, who instantly will bring his extensive set of relationships to bear across the entire portfolio,” said Mehta. “In addition, his unique ability to combine strategic growth with clear fiscal responsibility will be integral to the division’s continued success.”
In his new role, Schneider will oversee all aspects of business affairs, including talent and production negotiations, program acquisitions and new business deals for the E&DN/IM portfolio which includes the broadcast network Telemundo, the cable assets Bravo Media, mun2, Oxygen Media and Style, and the digital businesses iVillage, DailyCandy, Swirl, and Fandango.
As SVP, Business Affairs and Deputy General Counsel for Lifetime, he oversaw all business affairs and entertainment-related legal policy for the network’s programming, including scripted series, alternative/reality series, made-for-television movies, marketing initiatives and digital product. He also was responsible for all business affairs for AETN’s scripted programming across its network holdings, including for Lifetime, A&E and The History Channel.
Prior to joining Lifetime, Schneider spent 13 years in executive and/or legal capacities at Fox Television Studios (a division of 20th Century Fox Television), MTV Networks (a division of Viacom), Paramount Pictures Corp. (a subsidiary of Viacom) and was an associate at the entertainment law firms Katz, Golden & Sullivan and Slaff, Mosk & Rudman, where he represented talent, producers, writers, directors and production companies in all manner of television and film transactions.
Schneider is currently an adjunct law professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, Pepperdine Law School and the Carnegie-Mellon University Heinz School of Business.
Schneider holds a J.D. from the University of Southern California (1991, with honors, Law Review), as well as a B.A. in Communication Studies from UCLA (1987, cum laude). He began his legal career in 1991 as Law Clerk to the Chief U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Nevada, the Hon. Edward C. Reed, Jr. He resides in Southern California with his wife and three children.