Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) has appointed one of Europe’s top TV executives, Gerhard Zeiler, as president of its international division. The announcement was made hours after Zeiler stepped down as CEO of RTL Group, Europe’s largest TV production and broadcast company.

As president of Turner Broadcasting System International, he will report to TBS Inc chairman and CEO Phil Kent, and lead a 3,800-person division across Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin America. Zeiler will have executive oversight for all entertainment and kids networks and media services offered outside of North America; the distribution and commercial operations of CNN’s international services; all of Turner’s international joint ventures; and all licensing and merchandizing.

Zeiler has run RTL Group since March 2003 and helped grow it to its current 41 channels and 31 radio stations in ten countries. He also spearheaded taking American Idol and America’s Got Talent to the US via RTL’s content production arm Fremantle Media.