I was so waist deep in the weekly ratings I’m just getting around to seeing this and it looks to be a couple of hours old already.
Reuters is reporting that General Electric and Comcast have agreed to have NBCU Chairman Jeff Zucker lead the proposed joint venture between Comcast and NBCU without any clauses for him to exit after a specified amount of time (it’s not planned as a temporary move).
While the two companies have hashed out a lot of details they are still negotiating on the structure of the board of directors.
Once GE and Comcast hash everything out, in addition to needing Vivendi’s approval, the deal will need to clear regulatory hurdles.
Wow….this guy cant be knock down! If your already failing at one venture (NBC) why let him lead another? Only in Television!
My guess is that Mr. Zucker is pleasing the accountants. NBC (the broadcast network) is only one part of NBCU and only one part of even the television side of NBCU. Comcast probably covets all the cable networks under NBCU more than the broadcast net, not to mention the notion of receiving carriage fees from other cable and satellite companies for the NBCU properties rather than paying them monthly. But mostly, for Comcast, I think, it’s an advertising grab. The cable networks are an important part of that strategy.
…Because TV execs fall upwards.
How disgusting.
Isn’t this the guy credited with the Jay Leno @ 10pm fiasco??
Give Mr Zucker some credit. The man re-branded a channel as “SyFy” and it worked.
Robert…I totally understand the overall strategy, but the faith in Zucker to broker it I don’t. Seem to me that NBC is more interested in all things business and less in making good television.
NBC
R.I.P.
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(I don’t know when-2009) LOL
No seriously do u guys think this is gonna mean such a big change for the network? I mean programming and stuff
NBC died for me in 2004, when “Joey” and “The Apprentice” were on Thursday nights.
kenny – Nov 15, 1926 was the birthday of NBC – so NBC died aged 83…
…cause of death – Silvermanus zuckeritis infection…
…forensic pathologists: Doctors Quincy, Ross & Rasgotra
Please, no one fails upwards like Jeff Zucker. It’s awe-inspiring.
That mug
That guy must know where all the bodies are buried-figuratively speaking, of course.
omg what does it take to get this guy fired….?seriously
stockholders cant be happy
like gilligan leading the castaways
unbelieveable
…lainey – don’t bet too much on the “figuratively”…
…doesn’t Zucker remind you of that annoying bald guy with glasses that appeared on a lot of TV in the 70’s and 80’s (Hill Street Blues and M*A*S*H come to mind) – who was that guy…
…and has he any genetic similarities to Zucker?
Jeff Zucker is basically the male version of Dawn Ostroff.
He’s ruin this venture in the same way if you let a 5 year old run NBC.
Zucker-Could that have anything to do with being inthe TANK.I smell a RAT
I’m all for this if it means Comcast gets bitten in the ass.
Can’t wait to see how NBC and Comcast flame themselves in the back pockets through this arrangement.
@theoacme
I think that he is like the classic line from I Love Lucy, when Ricky Ricardo asks Lucy if she knows something the rest of us “dunt.”
Well, I think that Mr. Zucker does know something the rest of us “dunt.” How else could he stay in a position like he has, and when things go badly under his leadership, he never seems to have to answer his superiors for the things that he does? So, something is odd, somewhere.
I am reminded of yet another old, classic comedian, Red Skelton. He had a line in a show one time, where someone said to him, “Something is rotten in Denmark,” to which he replied, “It’s closer than that.”
NBC is not going to die and not going to go the way of the old DUMONT network. They are down now but one day (as most broadcast nets are) but one day NBC will come back. Leno will not be on five days a week forever either.
Bill and Robert, what are your thoughts about Comcast trying to take control of NBC? From what I’ve read it looks like it will be 51% Comcast / 49% General Electric (assuming Vivendi give up their stake) but GE’s stake will diminish over time.
Is this not worrying? What interest would Comcast have in a broadcast network? It seems to me that they are only interested in everything else that NBC Universal have to offer. At least with General Electric in control, you tend to think things couldn’t get any worse. Comcast is an unknown quantity, who knows what they will do?
I am not American (I don’t know how big Comcast is compared to GE), so I may be wrong here – but I would feel more comfortable if NBC was staying in the hands of General Electric. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like this will stay the case for much longer.
They keep on the one person responsible for the Destruction of the network. They deserve the failure that will surely follow.
This is the Sears/KMart buyout all over again. If you recall, Sears bought the dying KMart, and it actually hurt SEARS.
Same thing here if Zucker is in charge. With Comcast buying NBCU, this isn’t going to help Comcast in the long run; it will bring down THEIR value.
He must have dirty pictures of these executives.
I was always a fan of NBC and i dont think all of NBC’s problems are due to Zucker. People must realize that NBC is still making quality programming but the problem is America doesnt want quality programming, they are into this reality crap and NBC isnt reli buying into this idea. Until America’s television preferences change, NBC will continue to be in the dunks until it changes and it will eventually. These things come in a cycle. Remember NBC was here before and they rose from the ashes I believe it can happen again. As for the Comcast Part. I prefer to c them with General Electric bcuz we jus used to it i dont feel its safe with Comcast and NBC might have to move from 30 Rock which might also affect its successful news division. But i dont think its entirely his fault
Kev-
Very confusing post. Sometimes I would start to agree with you, but other times you’d throw me off.
NBC hasn’t bought into the reality crap? Umm…Momma’s Boys, Ashton’s wedding pranks, etc. NBC is just hurting in general. They haven’t been able to make new hits in awhile. Even Biggest Loser went from being barely watched, to now their flagship show.
good point but do u believe that they can redeem themselves?
It needs a total overhaul. You will NOT see them redeeming myself if they continue to work for margins and not for quality.
Theoacme, if you close one eye and squint, Zucker looks a lot like Ari Fleischer.
“Comcast is an unknown quantity, who knows what they will do?”
Their CEO got put on a list of most over-paid for performance, and my father, a Comcast employee, died two years ago but based on correspondence my mother continues to receive, parts of their operation still haven’t figured out that he’s dead (still getting her cable for free doesn’t make up for the pain she feels when she gets mail addressed to him). I can pretty well imagine what they’ll do. They’re liable to cancel a show then forget to notify the producers for two years.
I used to think the whole problem was Jeff Zucker from the rest of you but I keep reading stuff on how he is actually doing a great financially for NBCU and its family of networks. The problem with Zucker is they need to keep him away from the creative process on NBC. Let someone like a Brandon Tarkitoff back in the 80s for NBC get 100% control of NBC or move USA’s Bonnie Hammer on up.