NBC UNIVERSAL TELEVISION STUDIO PROMOTES TWO VETERAN EXECUTIVES TO HEAD COMEDY AND DRAMA PROGRAMMING TEAMS

NBC UNIVERSAL TELEVISION STUDIO PROMOTES TWO VETERAN EXECUTIVES TO HEAD COMEDY AND DRAMA PROGRAMMING TEAMS

Elisa Roth Becomes Senior Vice President, Drama Programming, and Vernon Sanders Advances to Senior Vice President, Comedy Series

UNIVERSAL CITY, California -- June 11, 2007 � NBC Universal Television Studio has promoted two veteran executives as Elisa Roth becomes Senior Vice President, Drama Programming, and Vernon Sanders advances to Senior Vice President, Comedy Series, it was announced today by Katherine Pope, President, NBC Universal Television Studio.

"Elisa Roth and Vernon Sanders represent the very best of what our studio stands for," said Pope, to whom they both report. "They are passionate advocates for creative talent and have a deep understanding of where the business is going. Their strong relationships, focus and drive will help us continue to be television's premier content provider."

Roth will oversee development and current series creative affairs for all of the studio's drama programs for broadcast television.

Sanders will now be responsible for overseeing the studio's comedy development and current series slate.

Roth previously served as Vice President, Drama, for NBC Universal Television Studio, since June 2004, shortly after NBC and Universal combined to form a new company. In that position, she has overseen NBC's hit "Heroes" and critically acclaimed "Friday Night Lights" as well as the new NBC drama "Bionic Woman."

Earlier, Roth was Vice President, Drama Programming, Universal Network Television, which she joined in July 2003 (she co-headed the drama department with Laura Lancaster, who shared the same title at the time). She was on the team responsible for developing the smash hit "House" and also oversaw dramas "American Dreams" and "The District."

Roth came to Universal from David E. Kelley Productions, where she served as director of creative affairs since 2001. Her series involvement included "The Practice," "Ally McBeal" and "Boston Public." She joined Kelley Productions in 1998 as an assistant and was promoted to manager of creative affairs in 1999. Prior to that, Roth held assistant positions at CAA and Don Buchwald & Associates.

Since June 2004, Sanders had been Vice President, Comedy Series, for NBC Universal Television Studio, shortly after the formation of the newly combined NBC Universal. In that role, he was responsible for creative supervision of the studio's various comedy programs, and most recently oversaw development of The CW's new comedy "Aliens in America." He'll now oversee the studio's critically hailed comedy "30 Rock" and NBC's new mid-season comedy "The IT Crowd," among other comedy projects on the air and in development.

Earlier, Sanders had served as Vice President, Comedy Programming, for Universal Network Television, in September 2003, after joining Universal in December 2002 as Executive Director, Comedy Programming. In that position, Sanders oversaw development of the Emmy-winning comedy "The Office" as well as the comedy series "Complete Savages" (produced by Oscar winner Mel Gibson).

Sanders joined Universal from Nuance Productions, where he was Vice President of TV development from 1999-2002 for the Paul Reiser-run production company.

Sanders also was director of TV development from 1996-98 at Wind Dancer Productions. He joined Wind Dancer as a development assistant in 1994 and became director of creative affairs in 1996.