NBCUniversal has appointed Emilio Romano, a veteran of media and major non-media companies, as president of Telemundo.
Romano, who from 2004 to 2007 was CEO of Grupo Mexicana de Aviación, will head the network’s 14 owned stations, including its entertainment division and Telemundo Studios, which produces Spanish-language prime-time content. Romano will also oversee Telemundo’s news and sports divisions, Telemundo International, Telemundo Digital Media group and mun2, the Telemundo-owned bicultural cable network.
Romano’s appointment follows the departure of Don Browne, Telemundo’s longtime president, last Spring.
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Romano will be based out of Miami, but will report to Lauren Zalaznick, who is based in New York and early in the year was appointed Chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainemnt & Digital Networks and Integrated Media and has oversight of Telemundo.
“His [Emilio’s] extensive knowledge of Hispanic media combined with a proven track record running large scale businesses will be a great addition to the Telemundo management team,” said Zalaznick in a statement. “We will benefit greatly from his expertise across multiple media platforms — particularly in the Mexican market — as we continue to broaden Telemundo’s overall appeal in the vibrant and diverse Hispanic community.”
Romano’s background is unusual in that it includes media experience as well as experience with totally unrelated industries, most notably the airline industry.
During the late 1990s, Romano was GrupoTelevisa’s Director of Mergers & Acquisitions and later Vice President of International Operations, with oversight of more than 500 global employees. From 1995 to 1998, he was a member of the Board of Directors for Univision Communications and directed several high profile transactions including the Sky Latin America joint venture with The News Corporation, OrganizaçõesGlobo and TCI; the sale of PanAmSat to Hughes Electronics and the formation of Via Digital DTH venture for the Iberian Peninsula.
Romano also was responsible for Televisa’s operations outside of Mexico, including the record label Fonovisa and the worldwide programming distribution arm Protele. Additionally, he co-managed Cablevisión, the largest cable network in Mexico.
In 2001, Romano co-founded Border Group, advising entertainment and media companies. And from 2004 to 2007 he was CEO for Mexican airline Grupo Mexicana de Aviación.