TiVo casts NBC exec as president
The DVR company taps a high-level television industry executive to be its president, as it tries to maintain its momentum in the home entertainment industry.
The San Jose, Calif.-based company, which provides digital video recorder (DVR) services and devices, said it recruited Martin Yudkovitz, an executive vice president at NBC, to help TiVo become a vital element of the home entertainment industry.
Surprised by the popularity of wireless technology, TiVo has recently eased back on its ambitions to put DVRs at the center of home networks, conceding the lead part to PCs and opting instead for more of a supporting role.
The company has been struggling toward profitability. In its most recently completed quarter, it reported a net loss of $14.7 million, a notable improvement from the year-earlier period, on revenue of $13.7 million. It also signed up a record number of new subscribers, bringing its total to about 624,000.
Yudkovitz will be responsible for driving deployment of TiVo through satellite, cable and advertising partnerships. Tivo said he will also focus on helping television networks and other content makers develop paid programming for its DVR service.
Yudkovitz's tenure at NBC lasted nearly 20 years. His work included the development of the NBC Internet portal and cable properties CNBC and MSNBC, and the creation of new programming. He also played a leading role in the network's partnership with CNET Networks, publisher of News.com, that resulted in the creation of the NBCi portal.