Conan O'Brien
Top NBC executive Dick Ebersol blamed the network's late-night troubles on Conan O'Brien and called The Tonight Show host an "astounding failure," according to The New York Times.
Ebersol, the chairman of NBC Sports and one of the key executives involved in creating Saturday Night Live, accused O'Brien of...
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Jeff Zucker
Following General Electric's $37.5 billion merger agreement with Comcast last week, NBC Universal president and CEO Jeff Zucker has signed a deal to stay with the company through 2013, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Comcast, NBC unveil $30 billion merger
With the Comcast deal expected to ...
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NBC, Comcast
Comcast will acquire NBC Universal from General Electric in a $30 billion deal announced Thursday that is poised to create a new entertainment powerhouse and reshape the TV landscape.
Comcast — the country's largest cable and Internet provider — will own 51 percent of the entity, while GE will retain the remaining 49 percent.
Christmas at Rockefeller Center lights up as planned
The merger, which has been in talks for months, would give Comcast control over some of NBCU's hottest TV properties as GE will contribute NBCU's portfolio, valued at ...
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Harvey Weinstein by Larry Busacca/ WireImage.com, Heidi Klum by Barbara Nitke/Bravo Photo, Jeff Zucker by Virginia Sherwood/NBC Photo
The New York State Supreme Court this month is hearing testimony as it decides if the Weinstein Co. violated a contract by not giving NBC Universal a chance to hold onto Project Runway, which is slated to move from Bravo to Lifetime in November. Remember, NBC U boss Jeff Zucker famously met with Harvey Weinstein on Feb. 22 to discuss the show's fate, when all the while Weinstein had already inked a $20 million-plus deal to give Heidi et al a new, bigger home.Some of the juicy bits disclosed during the court sessions, as reported by the New York Daily News:• Weinstein testified that NBC U paid Tim Gunn nothing during the first season of the show, and a mere $2,500 an episode for Season 2. • Zucker, when questioned about an email he sent directing Bravo to aggressively counterprogram Lifetime's Runway with repeats of previous cycles, shrugged, "I'm a competitive guy." • Weinstein admitted he "disliked Bravo management," though sources tell the tab that "hated" is a more...
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Well its been a while but now that all the poster boards have long been collecting dust a new episode of Earl has finally been unleashed and it did not disappoint After NBC President and CEO Jeff Zucker got the ball rolling with a quick recap and a good-natured joke or two about the writers strike we were back in Camden County Earl and Billie were of course right where we left them unconscious in the street As Randy commandeers an ambulance in order to rush him to the hospital Earl dreams of starring in a sitcom since TV has always been a source of solace This was an excellent way to kick off Earls return I think the onscreen dichotomy between the actual episode and a farcical send-up of classic TV really drove the point home that these writers are right on the cutting edge Also it was in this imagined show that the big buzz surrounding tonights installment played out Paris Hilton fresh off of her latest box office flop The Hottie and the Nottie
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Question: Although I really can't stand Jay Leno and much prefer Conan O'Brien, I was very surprised when NBC announced Conan would be replacing Leno in the near future. I assumed eventually it would be revealed why this happened, but I haven't read anything about that. I can't see Leno wanting to step down, and his ratings have been stellar for NBC. I could see NBC worrying about losing Conan, but Leno is young and hungry enough to captain The Tonight Show for many more years of big ratings. So do you have any insights about why this is happening?
Answer: NBC made the announcement three years ago that Jay would step down from the Tonight throne in 2009 and Conan would succeed him, the idea being to keep Conan at the network and lay the groundwork for a more orderly passing of the torch than what happened when Johnny Carson retired (a bruising and messy tug-of-war involving Leno and Letterman). The reason it's making headlines again is because there's new management at NBC Entertainment
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Campbell Brown by Sara Jay Weiss/NBC
While NBC trots out its stars for the Television Critics Association press tour, the network’s execs are trying to decide on the future of weekend Today co-anchor Campbell Brown. When Brown’s contract expires at the end of the month, she will have an offer from CNN waiting for her. The cable news channel is trying to lure Brown with a substantial raise and a nightly program.But NBC News has the right to match CNN’s salary package. Insiders believe Brown has already made up her mind to leave, but NBC News president Steve Capus is making a last-ditch effort to keep her. He has the backing of NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker. Brown, who is also a frequent substitute for NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, has been with the network since 1998. — Reporting by Stephen Battaglio
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Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff, NBC
It was fair to wonder why NBC put Kevin Reilly in the executive ejector seat just after signing him to a new multi-year contract. After seeing the debut performance of his replacement, Ben Silverman, at the Television Critics Association press tour, we're not wondering anymore.Instead of doing a rope-a-dope with reporters because he's only been in the job a month, Silverman came out with guns blazing, firing off one programming announcement after another. He even made a deal with legendary sitcom producer Norman Lear. That's red meat for the TCA, since many of its members love TV the way it used to be.He's even ignored the mandate NBC chief
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Ben Silverman, Kevin Reilly courtesy NBC
No such thing as a lull in the TV business, both on and off screen, not even in the once-sleepy period between the end of the traditional season and the start of June. Forget about all the off-season shows premiering this week (you probably will eventually, anyway), a rather staggering glut, but fans won’t want to forget that House and Boston Legal have their season finales tonight (delayed a week to make room for reality TV). Beyond what’s on TV, it’s been a crazy couple of days for the business itself.On Friday, it was made official that Rosie O’Donnell was off The View for good, a few weeks ahead of schedule. Not such a big surprise after her confrontational meltdown with Elisabeth Hasselbeck a few days earlier, the latest chapter in The Boor vs. The Blonde. Looks to me like Rosie was just looking for any excuse to make an early exit. The fact that she did not bow out with grace is hardly a shock. But what will it take to get her nitwit nemesis off the show? R...
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According to the Associated Press, NBC's prime-time jefe Jeff Zucker is likely to be promoted to CEO of NBC Universal this week. Zucker is the fella who, on the plus side, got the Friends to be there for us for an extra two seasons, but in the minus column, got behind Fear Factor. In additional to a pay raise and a title change, the promotion will also guarantee the boss unlimited access to Nikki Cox's cell number.
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