Brian Damage
05-28-2007, 07:45 AM
Kevin Reilly is a few negotiating points away from leaving NBC, while Ben Silverman is equally close to inking a deal that would make him a major player in the Peacock pride.
While nothing’s expected to be official before Monday at the earliest, several people with knowledge of the situation confirmed what’s been expected since Friday: Reilly is leaving his gig as prexy of entertainment. Reilly’s exit agreement isn’t final yet, however, preventing any official confirmation of his departure.
Reilly will get a generous financial payout from NBC, having just inked a new longterm deal with the network in March. Payout is expected to be several million dollars.
Likewise, it’s believed NBC Universal supremo Jeff Zucker hasn’t yet closed a deal to secure Silverman’s services. Betting around town, however, is that such a pact will get done within the next 48 hours.
Still up in the air is the fate of NBC development chief Katherine Pope. Long considered an heir apparent to Reilly, she had been on track to take charge of a combined network-studio development team. Now, there’s a very real chance she could end up leaving NBC U, people with knowledge of the matter said.
As previously reported, Silverman will not be replacing Reilly. Instead, the producer behind NBC shows such as “The Office” and “The Biggest Loser” is expected to take on a role giving him oversight of the bigger picture at the network. He’ll also play a key role in attracting talent to the network.
One open question is whether Reilly’s post as head of entertainment will be immediately filled, and if so, by whom. That decision will likely fall to Silverman.
Many of Silverman’s new responsibilities had been handled by NBC U west coast topper Marc Graboff. While his position within the company is considered safe, his duties could be changing. Graboff already has a portfolio much broader than the network, with oversight of NBC U’s syndie business and its cable business affairs.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR170001067.html?categoryid=14&cs=1
While nothing’s expected to be official before Monday at the earliest, several people with knowledge of the situation confirmed what’s been expected since Friday: Reilly is leaving his gig as prexy of entertainment. Reilly’s exit agreement isn’t final yet, however, preventing any official confirmation of his departure.
Reilly will get a generous financial payout from NBC, having just inked a new longterm deal with the network in March. Payout is expected to be several million dollars.
Likewise, it’s believed NBC Universal supremo Jeff Zucker hasn’t yet closed a deal to secure Silverman’s services. Betting around town, however, is that such a pact will get done within the next 48 hours.
Still up in the air is the fate of NBC development chief Katherine Pope. Long considered an heir apparent to Reilly, she had been on track to take charge of a combined network-studio development team. Now, there’s a very real chance she could end up leaving NBC U, people with knowledge of the matter said.
As previously reported, Silverman will not be replacing Reilly. Instead, the producer behind NBC shows such as “The Office” and “The Biggest Loser” is expected to take on a role giving him oversight of the bigger picture at the network. He’ll also play a key role in attracting talent to the network.
One open question is whether Reilly’s post as head of entertainment will be immediately filled, and if so, by whom. That decision will likely fall to Silverman.
Many of Silverman’s new responsibilities had been handled by NBC U west coast topper Marc Graboff. While his position within the company is considered safe, his duties could be changing. Graboff already has a portfolio much broader than the network, with oversight of NBC U’s syndie business and its cable business affairs.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR170001067.html?categoryid=14&cs=1