NBC Universal has promoted Lauren Zalaznick to president of women and lifestyle entertainment networks, from her previous position as president of Bravo Media and Oxygen Media. Zalaznick will oversee the new Women@NBCU, a combination of media assets including Bravo, Oxygen and iVillage.

NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution has promoted Bruce Casino to senior vice president of cable and ancillary sales, continuing his work with off-network distribution. Casino has been with the company since 1999, when it was known as Studios USA.

Parents TV, Meredith’s on-demand cable network also available online, has signed Rene Syler as host of “It Moms.” Syler’s last TV stint was as co-host of CBS’s “The Early Show.”

Balihoo, which develops media buying and planning software, has created a four-person senior advisory council. The members are: Denuo executive vice president of ventures Tim Hanlon; Beyond Interaction managing partner and chief strategy officer Laura McFarlane; Techlnsights CEO Paul Miller; and Mindshare Chicago managing director Lisa Weinstein. The company has also put together a product advisory board consisting of: Ross Ayotte, chief marketing officer at TechInsights; Lynne Langlois, group account director with Carat; Wayne Silverman, vice president of sales for CNET Networks; and WebAdvantage president Hollis Thomases.

Regan Pickett has joined Science News as a sales account executive, based in the magazine’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. Pickett previously worked independently selling for titles including HSToday, Home & Design and the Piedmont Virginian.

Tribune Co. has promoted Randy Michaels to chief operating officer, putting him in charge of all the company’s newspapers. Michaels was previously executive vice president and chief executive of Tribune’s broadcasting and interactive divisions.

MediaVest USA has made two promotions, moving Julie Goldstein to vice president and activation director and Erin Harvey to vice president and connections director. Harvey has been with the company since 2003, while Goldstein joined in 2004.

Beyond Interaction, the digital division at MediaCom, has named Alex Tamayo senior partner and group account director, leading the Nokia, Canon and Advanced Micro Devices account teams. Tamayo had been senior vice president and group media director at DraftFCB in New York.

Sports media and marketing firm NexxNow has added Brittany Wier to its board of directors. Wier works as a sports marketing and leadership development consultant.

Media consultant LaunchForce has named Mark Smith vice president and creative director, a new position at the company. Smith will lead the company’s strategic management.

Production company Sirens Media has hired Deana Jordan Sullivan as director of production, in charge of television production, new media and business development. She was previously director of development and production for Discovery Networks International.

In-mall digital video advertising network Adspace Networks has hired Warren Christopher as editorial director, where he’ll develop editorial platforms for the network. Christopher was previously publishing director for Show Circuit magazine.

With Barbara Walters making the media rounds while pushing her new book “Audition,” former “View” co-host Star Jones has weighed in, or rather struck back. Appearing on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” earlier this week, Walters said she was forced to lie about how Jones lost 160 pounds in 2003 because Jones did not want people to know she had gastric bypass surgery. Jones, who has since copped to having the procedure, told Us Weekly yesterday, “It is a sad day when an icon like Barbara Walters in the sunset of her life is reduced to publicly branding herself as an adulterer, humiliating an innocent family with accounts of her illicit affair and speaking negatively against me all for the sake of selling a book. It speaks to her true character.”