Comcast Names First Female Corporate Executive Vice President In Company's History

Amid a potential $45 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable, Comcast Corporation has promoted senior vice presidents D’Arcy Rudnay, Lawrence Salva and Arthur Block to executive vice president positions, the company announced in a series of press releases Monday.

The promotion makes Rudnay, Comcast's chief communications officer, the first female corporate executive vice president in the company's 52-year history.

According to the press release, Rudnay helmed Comcast's communications strategy during the controversial Time Warner acquisition, as well as the $30 billion merger with NBCUniversal in 2011. In her new role, she will report directly to chairman and CEO Brian Roberts and Executive Vice President David Cohen.

"D’Arcy has led us through game changing acquisitions, industry-shaping technological innovations and some of the most important milestones in our company’s history," Roberts said in a statement. "She is a trusted partner to me and to the entire senior executive team, and we are fortunate to have her counsel, talent and passion as we look ahead to an exciting future."

Comcast's planned acquisition of Time Warner is currently under review by the FCC and the Justice Department. If the merger goes through, the company would serve roughly 30 percent of the country's pay TV market.

Deadline's David Lieberman speculates that the promotion of Rudnay, Salva and Block -- regardless of the outcome of the merger -- suggests a "vote of confidence" from Roberts for his colleagues in the "deal-making trenches."