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Stunning Changes at NBC

Dec 15, 2008  •  Post A Comment

TelevisionWeek takes a closer look at the big changes made under Jeff Zucker at NBC, including firing nearly all of its top development executives and replacing its 10 p.m. schedule with a new nightly show from Jay Leno. “This is seismic,” is how one TV veteran described the situation.
—Jon Lafayette

2 Comments

  1. NBC has not had a sound programming chief with both feet on the ground since the late Brandon Tarticoff.
    Smart and savoy he was, but more so, he chose programs from a gut level. Does it breathe? Is there a heart beat to the project?
    Jeff is a good corporate think caretaker who lacks forward vision.
    This is not brain surgery to choose solid programming that people will watch…it just takes a genuine belly laugh or a heartfelt tear to know people will be touched…people will get it. Want more? Call me, no more for free.
    Peter Bright

  2. Tartikoff was luckier than Zucker. Brandon had a 60-70 share of the viewing audience shared among the Big 4 (and no TiVo to suck the urgency out of viewing). Jeff is lucky to have a 42 share to split four ways and he competes not just with cable but with the Internet. It’s tough to be brilliant when the audience is so splintered, so don’t give too much credit to Tartikoff.

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