Dick Ebsersol's exit from NBC sends signal to rest of company

The abrupt departure of Dick Ebersol as chairman of NBC Sports Group sent shockwaves through the network and the media industry. It also sent a not-so-subtle message to other top NBCUniversal executives: Get with the program or hit the road.

Almost from the day Comcast closed on NBC Universal, media watchers were wondering how the cable giant would adjust to some of the bigger personalities it was inheriting. Although Comcast is no stranger to entertainment -- it owns the cable network E!, which means it's in business with the Kardashians -- it prefers that the executives who run the company keep low profiles and let the work speak for itself. Ebersol, who has been associated with NBC for almost 40 years and whose influence extended far beyond the world of sports, is anything but low profile. Ebersol's new Comcast bosses did not have that history and viewed him as something of a know-it-all. Although his prowess as a producer was not questioned, his willingness to be a team player was.