Executives

The Los Angeles Film Festival on Thursday named producer and board member Rebecca Yeldham its new director, replacing Richard Raddon, who was pushed out of the job in November following his support of Proposition 8. In appointing Yeldham to the top job, festival organizer Film Independent picked someone who not only was familiar with the festival's internal operations but also had served as a programmer of the Sundance Film Festival.

Nick Counter, who as chief negotiator for the major studios became the designated nemesis of Hollywood labor, is retiring after more than 25 years on the job. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said Friday that Counter will retire when his five-year contract expires March 31. The move was widely anticipated. In fact, Counter, 68, was expected to retire last summer, but those plans were delayed by the ongoing labor dispute with the Screen Actors Guild.

One of the more provocative allegations in the lawsuit filed by former Clippers executive and NBA Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor against the Clippers, the NBA and owner Donald Sterling and team president Andy Roeser dealt with a comment allegedly made by Sterling about his former player Danny Manning.

It's hardly a shocker to read the news that Ben Silverman is finally -- after a year of breathless speculation -- out at NBC, having announced that he is leaving his post as network entertainment chief to form a new venture with Barry Diller, a longtime Silverman mentor and perhaps the oldest living new-media mogul on the planet.

NBC Universal's announcement Monday that Ben Silverman is leaving the network after his two-year tenure did little to reverse its prime-time fortunes was one of the least surprising stories to hit the television industry in some time. What was unexpected was who broke the news -- and how. At 5:09 a.m.

The last line of questioning may have been the toughest for Elgin Baylor during his news conference Thursday morning at his attorney's office in Beverly Hills. What have you been doing since October, Elgin? Have you been watching Clippers games? Do you cheer for the team? Is it tough to cheer for the team? Baylor, 74, the NBA Hall of Famer and former Clippers executive, didn't answer and appeared more emotional than at any time during the session.

Even the pros need to take a vacation and recharge. Where do top hotel executives choose to go and why? What are vacation strategies of hoteliers that we travelers can learn from? What draws them to a vacation spot? We asked four top hoteliers to share their thoughts. Michael J. Quinn Complex director of sales and marketing, Crestline Hotels & Resorts What do you seek when you travel for pleasure? Water, history, culture or any of these combined. What are your top priorities?

Hewlett-Packard Co., the world's largest personal-computer maker, valued Chief Executive Mark Hurd's pay last year at $42.5 million, including bonuses from previous years. Hurd received $1.5 million in salary, a $5.3-million bonus, $12.9 million in stock awards and $18.6 million in non-stock incentive plan compensation, the Palo Alto company said Tuesday in a regulatory filing. He also received $4.2 million in option awards, pension payments and expenses.

Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger must act quickly to replace studio head Dick Cook to avoid further destabilizing the Burbank-based movie operation. Cook's abrupt departure Friday is upsetting employees, many of whom are finding it difficult to focus on work because they are anxious about their future. In addition, stars and filmmakers do not like to face uncertainty and want assurances that their projects will remain on track. Iger is not tipping his hand about whom he will name to fill the job. One executive that's a subject of speculation is Disney Channel President Rich Ross.

The Screen Actors Guild board of directors has appointed David P. White as the national executive director and chief negotiator for Hollywood's largest union. The appointment of White, who had been serving as interim executive director, was widely anticipated after a group of moderate actors that orchestrated the firing of his predecessor, Doug Allen, installed White in January. The moderates recently solidified their position on the national board when their candidate, veteran character actor Ken Howard, soundly defeated Anne-Marie Johnson, who was backed by the faction that had supported Allen and swept outgoing SAG President Alan Rosenberg into office four years ago. Johnson and Rosenberg filed an unsuccessful lawsuit to block the board's firing of Allen, who led the union during a yearlong contract standoff with the studios.