Page Thompson Likely To Be Named Golf Channel President

By John Ourand, Staff Writer

Golf Channel is close to hiring a new president to run its operations, having narrowed the field to two candidates, according to numerous industry sources. An announcement could come as early as next week. The clear front-runner appears to be Comcast Senior VP & GM of Video Services PAGE THOMPSON. Thompson has been with Comcast since the summer of ’02, and he was instrumental in pushing its free video-on-demand product. Thompson has no direct golf industry experience, but he has close ties to Comcast’s corporate offices in Philadelphia. Thompson, who would move from Philadelphia to Orlando, would be a natural choice, given the network’s goal to build up its interactive and VOD programming. Another candidate for the job is Golf Channel insider WAYNE BECKER, who heads up the net’s int’l business as VP/Programming & Int’l. A former exec with ESPN Star Sports, Becker has been with the net since ’05 and helped with the deal to acquire exclusive PGA coverage. One exec that had been in the running is JEFF KROLIK, a former colleague of Comcast Programming President JEFF SHELL, who took himself out of the running earlier this year when Fox Sports hired him as Exec VP of Fox Sports Regional Networks. Comcast has been looking to fill the post since last fall, when it hired executive search firm Spencer Stuart to handle the search. Golf Channel CEO DAVID MANOUGIAN was the most recent president. He was promoted to CEO in ’05, and the president position was never filled.