Programming team set at Comcast’s fledgling cablenet outfit Versant

L-R: Susie Kricena, Michael Sluchan, Cori Abraham and Jenny Depper

Versant, the new company launched by Comcast to house its portfolio of cable channels, has set its programming team, with numerous execs moving over from NBCUniversal (NBCU).

The firm, which was officially named Versant this week, is set to be spun off from Comcast by the end of the year into a new publicly traded company.

It houses USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen True Crime, E!, Syfy and Golf Channel, in addition to digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and SportsEngine.

Its programming team will include numerous execs from Comcast-owned NBCU, which implemented a new round of lay-offs ahead of the planned spin-off this month.
According to US reports, Versant has tapped NBCU executives Susie Kricena, Michael Sluchan, Cori Abraham, Jenny Depper, Janice Ferrell and Rebecca Vazquez-Rhodes as new programming execs.

Versant entertainment president Val Boreland announced the appointments in an internal note on Thursday.

Kricena, who was most recently senior VP of content acquisitions at NBCU TV and streaming, will serve as senior VP of content acquisitions for Versant, where she will lead strategy, evaluation and programme licensing for the cable networks.

Sluchan will take on the role of senior VP of scripted content for entertainment, moving over from his role as executive VP of scripted series, movies, daytime, kids and coproductions and entertainment content at NBCU.

Abraham, senior VP of unscripted development, crime and documentary for NBCU, will serve as senior VP of unscripted content for entertainment across E!, Syfy, USA Network and Oxygen True Crime.

Depper, senior VP of E! News, has been named senior VP of digital for entertainment, where she will expand her oversight to lead the digital and social strategies for E!, USA Network, Oxygen True Crime and Syfy’s digital properties.

Ferrell, most recently senior VP of production and operations for NBCU’s entertainment group, is now senior VP of production and operations for entertainment at Versant.

Vazquez-Rhodes, senior VP of programme scheduling and strategy at NBCU, has been named Versant’s senior VP of programming strategy for entertainment.