Turner aligns US programming ops with int’l

Turner Broadcasting System plans to align its US kids content and general entertainment operations with their international counterparts, triggering a restructuring.

With immediate effect, Turner senior VP and managing director, central and eastern Europe, Hannes Heyelmann and SVP and chief content and creative officer, kids, EMEA Patricia Hidalgo get new posts.

This is part of a “joint approach” that reflects “the further strengthened working relations within Turner as the company adopts a more global approach to content strategy”.

Heyelamnn takes on an additional remit for international original programming strategy and will represent the international Turner business as liaison for general entertainment, with Hidalgo doing the same for the kids side of the business.

Both execs will work with Turner International president Gerhard Zeiler on these posts while continuing to report to Turner EMEA president Griorgio Stock, who recently talked over closer ties between the US and worldwide operations in an exclusive interview with TBI.

Heyelmann has been with Turner’s Berlin office since 2006, when he joined as director of business development and distribution, and went on to set up its German headquarters the following year. He has held his current posts since March 2013.

Hidalgo followed Stock from The Walt Disney Company to Turner in July 2013 to oversee its content and editorial in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

“Together with our colleagues in the US, we view kids and entertainment programming as an important global business which needs a joint approach, and we have found that the international perspective is very much welcomed,” said Zeiler.

The move comes soon after Turner repositioned Boomerang to become an all-animation, second flagship channel both in the US and internationally.

It also comes as Turner seeks to push general entertainment channel TNT into new territories.