Nelson Becomes VP Of CNN Productions

Mark Nelson is now officially the vice president and senior executive producer of CNN Productions, Jon Klein announced today. Nelson will oversee all documentary and long-form programming, including CNN Presents.

When CNN Productions SVP Sid Bedingfield was pushed out last November, Nelson started running the unit “on an interim basis.” Since November, “CNN Presents increased its in-depth programming and the number of topical specials, which has resulted in frequent ratings victories in its time periods,” CNN’s press release says.

Klein clearly wants more “topical specials,” like “Inside the Sago Mine Tragedy” and “Immigrant Nation.” In the press release, he says “Mark appreciates not only the best in storytelling but making the documentaries applicable to current events and subjects relevant to our viewers.”

Nelson spent 11 years at ABC, as senior broadcast producer of Nightline, before moving to the National Geographic Channel in 2000. Princell Hair brought Nelson to CNN in May 2004, as the EP of Paula Zahn Now. He became the “senior executive producer of editorial content” in June 2005.