NATPE Virtual Miami lands NBCU’s Mark Lazarus for opening keynote

Mark Lazarus

NBCUniversal’s TV & streaming chairman Mark Lazarus has been announced as the opening keynote for the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) Virtual Miami event.

Lazarus, who will be interviewed by NBC News’ Today co-anchor Hoda Kotb, has been at the centre of an overhaul at NBCU as the company focuses its attention on streaming service Peacock.

His fireside chat will kick off the conference portion of NATPE Virtual Miami, which will take place 19-22 January and feature sessions focusing on business, audience, content and production.

Execs from AMC, A+E, Canal+, CW, Fox, Netflix, Telemundo and ViacomCBS are among those featuring on sessions, along with Jay Leno, Kevin Eubanks and Robin Roberts.

The Marketplace side of the event is open from 19-29 January.

JP Bommel, NATPE president and CEO, said: “This past year has been extraordinary by any imaginable measure and I want to reflect on the lives we have lost in our beloved industry and send loving thoughts to the family and friends of those, to this day, are still affected.

“While it wasn’t possible to meet in person this year, we went to task to overcome video conferencing fatigue and provide a unique “one click” experience where fresh content from all over the world will be showcased. The conference itself will provide endless opportunities for creativity and connection.”