NBCUI hunts Edelstein replacement

NBCUniversal (NBCU) International Studios is on the lookout for a new president after Michael Edelstein revealed he would be stepping down from the post.

Edelstein, who is based in London, has been in the job for seven years but told colleagues yesterday that he will leave at the end of the year, allowing NBCU time to find a successor.

He took over as head of NBCUIS following the exits of Angela Bromstad and Denise O’Donoghue, working on shows such as Downton Abbey from NBCUIS-owned UK prodco Carnival Films.

He also oversaw reality show Made in Chelsea from Monkey Kingdom and was behind the acquisition of Aussie prodco Matchbox Pictures.

More recently Edelstein helped to forge the creative pact between NBCUIS, Germany’s RTL and TF1 in France to produce procedural dramas together. The first project, Gone, emerged last year.

In his memo to colleagues, Edelstein said his move from LA to London had been “eye opening”.

“From creative practices dictated by markets, to cultural differences that are only revealed when you live and work abroad, each day has been a challenging and exciting adventure,” he continued.

Edelstein said NBCUIS had produced more than 1,100 hours of original content but said he was leaving because “as anyone who has worked in international knows, 1.5 million miles, hundreds of nights in hotel rooms and constantly changing time zones begins to lose its charm.

“With a great senior management team in place, it is now time for me to take a break and create some space to ponder the future. Therefore, I have decided to leave NBCU when my contract ends in December.

“I intend to remain in London until, at least, the spring and am looking forward to continuing to enjoy the wonderful content this division produces for years to come.”