Will GE Sell NBC?

WILL GE SELL NBC?
[SOURCE: New York Post, AUTHOR: Peter Laura peter.lauria@nypost.com]
General Electric Chairman Jeff Immelt's increased involvement in the direction of NBC Universal could be a sign that the entertainment giant's parent is mulling an eventual exit from the TV and film business. Three sources close to the company said that keeping NBC for the long-term remains very much an open question in Immelt's mind, and added he could look to sell the asset if it doesn't significantly improve in the next 12 months. Indeed, with digital media not yet rivaling the cash thrown off by traditional media, and GE's history of adherence to strict performance measures, Immelt could explore alternatives for the division, including a possible sale, these sources said.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02072007/business/plucked_peacock_business_p...

DONE DEAL AT NBCU: ZUCKER SUCCEEDS WRIGHT
[SOURCE: tvnewsday]
General Electric Co. Chairman and CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt announced the appointment of Jeff Zucker as President and CEO of NBC Universal, succeeding Bob Wright, who held that job for 21 years and who will continue to serve as a GE vice chairman. As CEO of NBCU’s television group, Zucker has overseen the company’s news, sports, and entertainment divisions; owned-and-operated television stations; cable entertainment properties, including USA, Sci Fi, and Bravo; cable news properties, CNBC and MSNBC; Spanish language network Telemundo; and the company’s television studio, first-run syndication, and global distribution efforts. Previously, Zucker had served as president of the NBC Entertainment, News & Cable Group. Before that, he was president of NBC Entertainment. A five-time Emmy winner, Zucker also was executive producer of the Today show, where, NBCU said, “he turned the morning news program into the single-most profitable program on television.” Under Wright’s leadership, NBC’s revenues grew from $3 billion in 1986 to more than $16 billion in 2006. During his tenure, the company expanded its ownership of broadcast television stations, launched groundbreaking cable networks such as CNBC and MSNBC, and acquired fast-growing media assets such as Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo and the arts and entertainment cable network, Bravo. In 2004, Wright led NBC’s acquisition of Vivendi Universal Entertainment, creating NBC Universal. The acquisition added assets including the USA Network, Sci Fi Channel, Universal Studios and Universal Parks in Orlando, Fla., and Hollywood.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/02/06/daily.11/

Wright Says Digital Is Zucker's Biggest Challenge
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Ben Grossman]
Outgoing NBC Universal chief Bob Wright says the biggest challenge for his replacement, Jeff Zucker, is to win the race to figure out how to monetize new media. "It’s sorting out the digital is the real challenge, the rest of our business is pretty good right now," he said in a CNBC interview Tuesday morning. "Everybody can't have My Space. We all want to have My Space. At least we think we do right this minute."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6413845.html?display=Breaking...