NBCUniversal taps Morgan Stanley exec as CFO

NBCUniversal has tapped Morgan Stanley's Stuart J. Epstein as chief financial officer. Stanley, who has been managing director of Morgan Stanley and global head of the firm's media and communications group, will join the company in mid-October. Epstein had been a strategic adviser to Comcast, a Morgan Stanley client, as it acquired a controlling stake in NBCU from GE and Vivendi. He will report to NBCU CEO Steve Burke. Burke said in a statement that Epstein "is a smart, capable leader with a deep understanding of the media business. Having known Stuart for years, I am also certain that he will be a great cultural fit for NBCU." Epstein first joined Morgan Stanley in 1984, rising through the ranks before he was named global head of the media and communications group in March 2008. Contact Ted Johnson at ted.johnson@variety.com