Pope rules NBC Universal unit

More changes at Peacock
By JOSEF ADALIAN


NBC Universal is expected to dump Angela Bromstad and tap Katherine Pope as the head of its studio arm.

Pope has been the frontrunner for the gig since Tuesday, when NBC U TV Studio co-chair Marc Graboff made it clear he wanted Pope to remain with the company. Pope's future at the conglom was in doubt over the Memorial Day weekend after she and NBC U supremo Jeff Zucker clashed when Zucker apparently reneged on promises to put Pope in charge of all studio development.

In fact, Zucker was negotiating to bring Silverman into the company, with he and Graboff taking oversight of both the studio and the network. Zucker and Pope made up, and Graboff said she was welcome to stay at NBC.

"She's a key part of the senior team," Graboff said Tuesday. "We want her to stay and hope she'll stay."

Once Graboff and Zucker signaled that Pope was back in their good graces, it became apparent she would take control of the studio. Pope had made it clear she didn't want to stay on the network side of the business, and Silverman likely wants to bring in his own team on the development side. That left a studio gig as the only real option for Pope at NBC.

Pope had also been approached about other offers, but ultimately decided NBC made the most sense.

In some ways, Pope's new title won't change anything. According to multiple sources, Pope has been acting as de facto president of the studio for most of this year. Angela Bromstad, who's officially held the title, has not been key in developing the studio's new crop of fall shows.

Bromstad has been expected to take a new gig heading up an international unit for NBC U, possibly relocating to London.

An NBC U spokesman decline comment.