NBC Will Never Be #1 Again...or So Says Their President Jeff Zucker! - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 03-20-2009, 02:28 PM

Since "Friends" left, NBC hasn't hit first place in prime time--and it isn't aiming to return to the top spot, either, NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker said Wednesday.

"What does No. 1 in prime time mean anymore?" he asked, adding that the traditional measuring stick has lost relevance.

DVRs, online video and other factors have moved the needle. A more appropriate metric is aggregate viewing across on-air, online, VOD, iTunes, etc.--a gauge where the NBC hit "The Office" performs well.

"I don't think we'll ever be able to say, 'NBC is No. 1 in prime time,'" Zucker said at an industry event.

Any aspirations were effectively thrown out when NBC made the decision to go with a Jay Leno-fronted show weeknights at 10 p.m. Zucker said ratings there won't approach even what the network's current crop of struggling dramas are doing in the hour.

Still, he said the Leno move is not a white flag--just a reaction to new dynamics. "We're not proclaiming defeat," he said. "I don't think anyone thinks Fox is any less of a network because they program two hours in prime time."

Fox has been touted as the top network in recent years, but it has seven fewer hours a week to fill with hits than its three leading competitors.

Zucker reiterated that the Leno move was made partly to keep the comedian on NBC, but also in response to changing viewer behaviors that necessitated new business models. He acknowledged, however, that NBC may not have taken the gamble if prime-time ratings were as healthy as they were throughout the 1990s and beyond.

"Sometimes, you see the world more clearly when you're flat on your back," he said.

But he said the broadcasting industry needs "to be honest" with itself about the hurdles it faces and not "wish it were 1987."

Newspapers that ignored warning signs and failed to adapt to new technologies should serve as a cautionary tale. "We can bury our heads in the sand, and then I'll know we'll be defeated," Zucker said.

Broadcasting--a business supported only by advertising--was in flux due to DVRs and audience fragmentation even before the recession. Now it is facing further uncertainty, which is likely to continue through the coming upfront. Zucker said he expects the market to "move slowly," and signaled that NBC won't sell as much inventory as it has recently.

The economy has not only impacted the NBC network, but even more drastically, the local stations NBCU owns. Zucker said the company is buoyed by its portfolio of cable networks, which derive revenues from more stable affiliate fees as well as advertising. And despite the turmoil, he said, each cable outlet is on target for record ratings and financial performance in 2009.

"First and foremost," Zucker said, NBCU is a cable-network business. Some 60% percent of operating profit comes from the sector, estimated at $520 million in the 2008 fourth quarter. With that orientation, the company has recently added Oxygen and a controlling stake in the Weather Channel.

Among the cable portfolio is MSNBC, and Zucker said the news/opinion network is looking to add a signature show from a fourth personality to its prime-time lineup that features Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow.

In regard to new business models, Zucker has frequently spoken about the need to find a way to monetize online video and avoid trading analog dollars for digital pennies. A revenue gap between on-air and online remains vast, but he said it has closed slightly.

"I think we're at digital dimes now ... but there still is a long way to go from those dimes to dollars," he said.

Still, even if online ad dollars never eclipse those from traditional sources, Zucker said tinkering with the cost structure may still allow NBCU to come out on top.

He said NBCU supports ubiquitous distribution, and will be focusing over the next two to three years on developing an economic model that supports it.

http://www.mediapost.com/publication...art_aid=102392

dawsongirl · 03-20-2009, 03:27 PM

Keep telling yourself that, Jeffy. I like how people make up things like this when they're behind.

Yeah, things have changed, but that's no excuse for crappy programming.

Brent88 · 03-20-2009, 03:37 PM

How in the world does Jeff Zucker still have a job? He has single-handledly killed NBC in the last 4 years. They've gone from the untouchable top of the TV world to competiting with the lowly CW occasionally now and certainly not competiting with the big three most of the time.

I see the Leno thing as the beginning of the end of NBC. They will IMO be the first of the big four to stop being a broadcast network.

JulieSomoski · 03-20-2009, 04:06 PM

I have to agree. The poor man's only making excuses so he doesn't look like a huge failure. While FOX, CBS, and ABC can all manage to hover around the 10 million range on average all season, NBC can barely manage to break half that. It's embarassing for a network that used to air hits like The Cosby Show and Seinfeld, and everyone knows it.

catlover79 · 03-20-2009, 04:07 PM

Wasn't he also the guy who approved cancelling Another World? Their only soap left is Days, but I don't see it lasting on NBC after its current contract expires (which I believe is 2011). Daytime aside, he has made one bonehead move after another regarding the prime time schedule (I think The Office is one of the very few hits left!). Jay Leno has also made some pot shots at him in his monologue (and rightfully so!). I agree with Brent - why this guy is still president of NBC is a mystery.

JulieSomoski · 03-20-2009, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

Wasn't he also the guy who approved cancelling Another World? Their only soap left is Days, but I don't see it lasting on NBC after its current contract expires (which I believe is 2011). Daytime aside, he has made one bonehead move after another regarding the prime time schedule (I think The Office is one of the very few hits left!). Jay Leno has also made some pot shots at him in his monologue (and rightfully so!). I agree with Brent - why this guy is still president of NBC is a mystery.

Yes - and don't forget how he managed to destroy the few hits NBC did have on their schedule (just look at how badly Heroes, Medium, Law and Order, My Name is Earl, and SVU have deteriorated this season). He doesn't know how to schedule a network.

Brent88 · 03-20-2009, 04:53 PM

ER is one of their top-rated shows this week at about 9.5 million viewers(got beat by Private Practice), and it's ending in 2 weeks. SVU is the other decent hit, but where does it move with Leno taking over 10pm? Tuesday at 9 it'll get destroyed by The Mentalist. They better hope Southland(the show airing in ER's timeslot starting April 9th) becomes a decent hit or they are completely screwed. Kings has already bombed.

It's really sad what they have become.

JulieSomoski · 03-20-2009, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent88

ER is one of their top-rated shows this week at about 9.5 million viewers(got beat by Private Practice), and it's ending in 2 weeks. SVU is the other decent hit, but where does it move with Leno taking over 10pm? Tuesday at 9 it'll get destroyed by The Mentalist. They better hope Southland(the show airing in ER's timeslot starting April 9th) becomes a decent hit or they are completely screwed. Kings has already bombed.

It's really sad what they have become.

NBC should see a nice build up next week for ER, and of course the finale should draw pretty big numbers (but not as big as one would have thought 5 years ago). I think Southland will somewhat hit. It's also going to help the show getting ER's old slot. But, it could depend on whether or not Harper's Island on CBS hits.

Both SVU and Without a Trace should benefit next season by not airing against all each other. All CBS has to do is renew it and keep it in the same slot, and NBC needs to keep it out of the path of another procedural (namely NCIS or The Mentalist on Tuesdays), and it should be able to climb back up in the ratings next season. Too bad Kings has already bombed - NBC could have used a decent hit for the remainder of the season at least.

robyrob · 03-20-2009, 07:01 PM

at least he's being honest with himself - assuming he's blaming himself for how bad NBC is doing and not just saying its because of the economy or something.

it just seems stupid that they basically have nothing thats any good waiting in the wings or in development to replace all the shows that they have leaving or that have already left.

i still watch Saturday Night Live, Chuck, Heroes, Medium, My Name is Earl, and 30 Rock, but that's about it (that I can think of).

JulieSomoski · 03-20-2009, 07:44 PM

The only shows I still watch on NBC are Medium and Celebrity Apprentice. I gave up on Heroes a long time ago, stopped watching the Law and Orders, ER is ending (but I will tune into the finale), and these new shows are just, IMO, not very good. If NBC could crank out some quality programming, I'm sure viewers would come in. The sad thing is, though, it may be too late to try now.

Mr. Television · 03-20-2009, 08:15 PM

I watch Chuck and SVU and sometimes I watch MNIE and 30 Rock. NBC is a shambles of what it used to be. None of the new shows this year were any good and I doubt next years will be any better. That's why Zucker is saying what he's saying. CBS seems to be doing okay with the shows they have...even at 10:00 and I don't hear anybody over there complaining. I guess we can proclaim the peacock as dead.

hno:

Rosslover · 03-20-2009, 10:29 PM

so in two weeks , it is the end of must see tv, ER has been the best in this the final year because people wanted to see the beloved characters of old school ER return.Emmy noms are deserving of Angela Bassett, Noah Wyle, and the flashback of Anthony Edwards. The Doug and Carol reunion was nice if it wouldnt have had so much publicity. NBC had its day ...and now it is done. Stars from past shows get cancelled before their time. (Starter Wife, The Comeback, Dirt, Joey, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (had the most promise) Now we have publicized appearances by former NBC stars. Once again , we have the sad story of the reality show. ER and must see tv....I miss you

steevo · 03-20-2009, 10:58 PM

The entire way that NBCU is now itself fragmented (SyFy, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, USA, stake in TWC) seems indicative to me that as long as profits roll in from those as the article implied, he doesn't have a sense of urgency to turn NBC around. It's a real shame, since as mentioned elsewhere, NBC used to be untouchable throughout the 80's and most of the 90's.

browneyes106 · 03-21-2009, 01:05 AM

All networks have stuggles. But I think the past two years NBC has made some bad choices when it comes to programming. They canceled a brillant show like Journeyman and put on dumb remakes of the Bionic Woman and Knight Rider. I don't see NBC improving.

megamanj2004 · 03-21-2009, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by browneyes106

All networks have stuggles. But I think the past two years NBC has made some bad choices when it comes to programming. They canceled a brillant show like Journeyman and put on dumb remakes of the Bionic Woman and Knight Rider. I don't see NBC improving.

He also screwed over the 2003 revival of "Hunter" (w/ Fred Dryer and Stepfanie Kramer) as well by underpromoting it after 2 weeks of even promoting it in the 1st place.

If he really wants to be on top, 1st thing he needs to do is...stop blaming the media, stop blaming the economy (yes it sucks now) and start blaming himself for hiring his right-hand idiot-in-command Ben Silverman.

Deal or No Deal used to be one of their top shows and even that show isn't so hot anymore as people are finally realizing that the primetime version has gone to total gimmick city.

They had 1 Vs. 100 on Fridays and that show was doing consistently good numbers (hell, it even did better than Deal or No Deal at some points as well) and they royally screwed with that show...three times. 1st time, they put it on a mini-hiatus in favor of "Identity," which in itself wasn't doing that good. The 2nd time was punishing that show for "Amnesia," a watered-down version of FOX's trashy-game show "Moment of Truth" and the final nail in the coffin was toying around w/ the show (mind you, it was still ptting up good numbers in the ratings) and they announced it was not going to be on the 2008-09 lineup and it was good as cancelled, huh?

NBC also had a show that was their answer to ABC's "The View" called "The Other Half"

They also had "The Weakest Link" (which like ABC's "Millionaire") tanked when they tried to overexpose the show w/ special-theme shows.

I guess outside of Heroes, ER (which is going to end this year), Law and Order (which they're screwing aorund with these days), My Name is Earl, The Office, and to a small degree Deal or No Deal (which isn't doing so hot these days anymore), NBC is looking forward to getting their keesters kicked by the CW than getting out of their slump.

It's like NBC is not even trying to put up better numbers anymore.

NBC = Nothing But Crap!

03-20-2009, 02:28 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,108	NBC Will Never Be #1 Again...or So Says Their President Jeff Zucker! Since "Friends" left, NBC hasn't hit first place in prime time--and it isn't aiming to return to the top spot, either, NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker said Wednesday. "What does No. 1 in prime time mean anymore?" he asked, adding that the traditional measuring stick has lost relevance. DVRs, online video and other factors have moved the needle. A more appropriate metric is aggregate viewing across on-air, online, VOD, iTunes, etc.--a gauge where the NBC hit "The Office" performs well. "I don't think we'll ever be able to say, 'NBC is No. 1 in prime time,'" Zucker said at an industry event. Any aspirations were effectively thrown out when NBC made the decision to go with a Jay Leno-fronted show weeknights at 10 p.m. Zucker said ratings there won't approach even what the network's current crop of struggling dramas are doing in the hour. Still, he said the Leno move is not a white flag--just a reaction to new dynamics. "We're not proclaiming defeat," he said. "I don't think anyone thinks Fox is any less of a network because they program two hours in prime time." Fox has been touted as the top network in recent years, but it has seven fewer hours a week to fill with hits than its three leading competitors. Zucker reiterated that the Leno move was made partly to keep the comedian on NBC, but also in response to changing viewer behaviors that necessitated new business models. He acknowledged, however, that NBC may not have taken the gamble if prime-time ratings were as healthy as they were throughout the 1990s and beyond. "Sometimes, you see the world more clearly when you're flat on your back," he said. But he said the broadcasting industry needs "to be honest" with itself about the hurdles it faces and not "wish it were 1987." Newspapers that ignored warning signs and failed to adapt to new technologies should serve as a cautionary tale. "We can bury our heads in the sand, and then I'll know we'll be defeated," Zucker said. Broadcasting--a business supported only by advertising--was in flux due to DVRs and audience fragmentation even before the recession. Now it is facing further uncertainty, which is likely to continue through the coming upfront. Zucker said he expects the market to "move slowly," and signaled that NBC won't sell as much inventory as it has recently. The economy has not only impacted the NBC network, but even more drastically, the local stations NBCU owns. Zucker said the company is buoyed by its portfolio of cable networks, which derive revenues from more stable affiliate fees as well as advertising. And despite the turmoil, he said, each cable outlet is on target for record ratings and financial performance in 2009. "First and foremost," Zucker said, NBCU is a cable-network business. Some 60% percent of operating profit comes from the sector, estimated at $520 million in the 2008 fourth quarter. With that orientation, the company has recently added Oxygen and a controlling stake in the Weather Channel. Among the cable portfolio is MSNBC, and Zucker said the news/opinion network is looking to add a signature show from a fourth personality to its prime-time lineup that features Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. In regard to new business models, Zucker has frequently spoken about the need to find a way to monetize online video and avoid trading analog dollars for digital pennies. A revenue gap between on-air and online remains vast, but he said it has closed slightly. "I think we're at digital dimes now ... but there still is a long way to go from those dimes to dollars," he said. Still, even if online ad dollars never eclipse those from traditional sources, Zucker said tinkering with the cost structure may still allow NBCU to come out on top. He said NBCU supports ubiquitous distribution, and will be focusing over the next two to three years on developing an economic model that supports it. http://www.mediapost.com/publication...art_aid=102392
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03-20-2009, 03:37 PM	#3
Brent88 Member Forum Star Join Date: Aug 01, 2003 Location: Alabama Posts: 16,180	How in the world does Jeff Zucker still have a job? He has single-handledly killed NBC in the last 4 years. They've gone from the untouchable top of the TV world to competiting with the lowly CW occasionally now and certainly not competiting with the big three most of the time. I see the Leno thing as the beginning of the end of NBC. They will IMO be the first of the big four to stop being a broadcast network.
	__________________ Brent

03-20-2009, 04:06 PM	#4
JulieSomoski Roseanne Reboot - March 27! Forum Veteran Join Date: Nov 06, 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 7,558	I have to agree. The poor man's only making excuses so he doesn't look like a huge failure. While FOX, CBS, and ABC can all manage to hover around the 10 million range on average all season, NBC can barely manage to break half that. It's embarassing for a network that used to air hits like The Cosby Show and Seinfeld, and everyone knows it.
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03-20-2009, 04:07 PM	#5
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Wasn't he also the guy who approved cancelling Another World? Their only soap left is Days, but I don't see it lasting on NBC after its current contract expires (which I believe is 2011). Daytime aside, he has made one bonehead move after another regarding the prime time schedule (I think The Office is one of the very few hits left!). Jay Leno has also made some pot shots at him in his monologue (and rightfully so!). I agree with Brent - why this guy is still president of NBC is a mystery.
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03-20-2009, 07:01 PM	#9
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,162	at least he's being honest with himself - assuming he's blaming himself for how bad NBC is doing and not just saying its because of the economy or something. it just seems stupid that they basically have nothing thats any good waiting in the wings or in development to replace all the shows that they have leaving or that have already left. i still watch Saturday Night Live, Chuck, Heroes, Medium, My Name is Earl, and 30 Rock, but that's about it (that I can think of).
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03-20-2009, 03:27 PM	#2
dawsongirl Member Forum Icon Join Date: Jan 04, 2001 Posts: 53,128	Keep telling yourself that, Jeffy. I like how people make up things like this when they're behind. Yeah, things have changed, but that's no excuse for crappy programming.

03-20-2009, 04:53 PM	#7
Brent88 Member Forum Star Join Date: Aug 01, 2003 Location: Alabama Posts: 16,180	ER is one of their top-rated shows this week at about 9.5 million viewers(got beat by Private Practice), and it's ending in 2 weeks. SVU is the other decent hit, but where does it move with Leno taking over 10pm? Tuesday at 9 it'll get destroyed by The Mentalist. They better hope Southland(the show airing in ER's timeslot starting April 9th) becomes a decent hit or they are completely screwed. Kings has already bombed. It's really sad what they have become.

03-20-2009, 07:44 PM	#10
JulieSomoski Roseanne Reboot - March 27! Forum Veteran Join Date: Nov 06, 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 7,558	The only shows I still watch on NBC are Medium and Celebrity Apprentice. I gave up on Heroes a long time ago, stopped watching the Law and Orders, ER is ending (but I will tune into the finale), and these new shows are just, IMO, not very good. If NBC could crank out some quality programming, I'm sure viewers would come in. The sad thing is, though, it may be too late to try now.

03-20-2009, 08:15 PM	#11
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,125	I watch Chuck and SVU and sometimes I watch MNIE and 30 Rock. NBC is a shambles of what it used to be. None of the new shows this year were any good and I doubt next years will be any better. That's why Zucker is saying what he's saying. CBS seems to be doing okay with the shows they have...even at 10:00 and I don't hear anybody over there complaining. I guess we can proclaim the peacock as dead. hno:
	__________________ Sonny

03-20-2009, 10:29 PM	#12
Rosslover Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 21, 2005 Posts: 431	so in two weeks , it is the end of must see tv, ER has been the best in this the final year because people wanted to see the beloved characters of old school ER return.Emmy noms are deserving of Angela Bassett, Noah Wyle, and the flashback of Anthony Edwards. The Doug and Carol reunion was nice if it wouldnt have had so much publicity. NBC had its day ...and now it is done. Stars from past shows get cancelled before their time. (Starter Wife, The Comeback, Dirt, Joey, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (had the most promise) Now we have publicized appearances by former NBC stars. Once again , we have the sad story of the reality show. ER and must see tv....I miss you

03-20-2009, 10:58 PM	#13
steevo It is Green Senior Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2008 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,474	The entire way that NBCU is now itself fragmented (SyFy, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, USA, stake in TWC) seems indicative to me that as long as profits roll in from those as the article implied, he doesn't have a sense of urgency to turn NBC around. It's a real shame, since as mentioned elsewhere, NBC used to be untouchable throughout the 80's and most of the 90's.
	__________________ "God be gracious to us and bless us..." Psalm 67:1

03-21-2009, 01:05 AM	#14
browneyes106 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 01, 2008 Posts: 6,097	All networks have stuggles. But I think the past two years NBC has made some bad choices when it comes to programming. They canceled a brillant show like Journeyman and put on dumb remakes of the Bionic Woman and Knight Rider. I don't see NBC improving.