Universal TV president exits

Universal Television president Bela Bajaria has left her role after five years at the company.

Bela Bajaria

Bajaria was one of NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt’s first major executive hires when she joined from CBS TV Studios in 2011.

Last year she was upped to president of Universal Television, with Greenblatt adding that her work on Universal programming, including Brooklyn Nine-Nine for Fox, was “very important to the overall performance at NBC Entertainment.”

However, in the latest round of series orders, Universal’s productions are down from 12 in 2015 to just seven for the upcoming season, a decline that has ultimately led to Bajaria’s exit.

NBC head of drama Pearlena Igbokwe is reportedly being lined up as her replacement.

“I want to thank Bela personally for building a strong team and working so effectively to establish Universal Television as a competitive company that produces high-quality scripted series for broadcast networks as well as cable and streaming services,” NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt said.

“We all wish her the very best as she takes on the next phase of her career.”

Bajaria, who is not thought to be immediately moving to another job, was also responsible for series including The Mindy Project (now at Hulu), Master of None and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (both at Netflix), and Bates Motel (A&E).