Turner International has a new president

Austrian Gerhard Zeiler, the current CEO of German media conglomerate RTL Group (Europe's biggest TV producer and broadcaster), has been named as the next president of Turner Broadcasting System's international division. The announcement was made by TBS's CEO, Phil Kent: "We are delighted that Gerhard is joining us and look forward to the leadership, perspective and wealth of international television experience he will bring to one of the most successful and most strategically important areas of our company," he said. Zeiler admitted to being "a long-time observer" of Turner's networks, adding that he was "keenly aware of their strength with consumers and the company's profile in the international business community". In Latin America, Turner has distribution deals for channels such as CNN International, TNT, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Glitz, Space, Infinito, I.Sat and Chilevisión. The company has been experiencing strong growth in the region, where it has doubled its footprint in recent years. Worldwide, TBS runs over 130 channels in 30 different languages and some 200 countries. By comparison, RTL Group operates 45 channels in 11 countries, mostly in Europe. Among other responsibilities, Zeiler will be in charge of leading CNN International and all of Turner's entertainment and kids networks distributed outside of North America. Across Latin America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, he will lead a 3,800-strong workforce.