Nbc Ups Deal Maker Burgess

NBC is giving its chief business development executive a boost, signaling the company's intention of continuing to explore ways to expand beyond its recent aggressive deal-making.

The company has promoted Brandon Burgess to executive vp business development from senior vp. He will report to NBC chairman and CEO Bob Wright. Burgess previously reported to chief financial officer Mark Begor.

Begor is moving over to GE Card Services as chief operating officer and will be replaced by Mark Vachon, now vp of GE Investor Communications.

Burgess and Vachon were unavailable for comment.

NBC has been especially active in recent months on the deal side. It is in the process of buying the Spanish-language Telemundo network for $2.7 billion and is reportedly in talks to purchase KRON-TV in San Francisco. Burgess has been in his current role since last year. Previously, he was chief financial officer at the NBC Television Network as well as director of business development. His appointment is effective Jan. 1.

In these posts, the company said Burgess has been instrumental in completing such initiatives as implementing its sales and operating relationship with Paxson Communications, completing the Telemundo deal and restructuring NBC's investment in Cablevision Systems' Rainbow Media.

In a statement, Wright said, "NBC's continued commitment to growing our business makes Brandon's role within this organization more important than ever."

Vachon has spent 15 years at GE and has held his current post since April 1998. He was named a company officer in July 1999. His appointment is effective Jan. 14.