NBC Gives Up

Allow me to introduce you to Jeff Zucker, CEO of NBC Universal. Jeff has a novel approach to finding success in the business world - surrender.

Zucker just announced NBCU's plans for 2007. Goal number one is to save $750 million.

To accomplish this, he's cutting over 700 jobs. He's also cutting programming costs by eliminating scripted programming from the first hour of prime time. That's right. No scripted sitcoms or dramas, just game shows and reality shows.

This from the network that once pish-poshed FOX's reliance in reality in the late '90s.

Any guesses as to which studio will be producing these non-scripted shows? Think Zucker is going to be paying Disney or Paramount to develop these cost cutting shows? No way. These shows will ALL be produced by NBCU for NBCU (and repurposed ON NBCU's multitude of channels) on the cheap, FOR the cheap.

For the cheap? Yep, that's exactly what I mean. Seems Zucker doesn't find the income levels of the folks who watch at 8/7 Central satisfactory. You see, the great unwashed common folk - the ones who don't buy Cadillacs - aren't worth spending money on.

It's only the elite that watch the next two hours of programming that Zucker finds worthy of producing quality product for. One wonders if Jeffy is expecting the great unwashed that watch NBC in 8/7 Central to go somewhere else at 9/8 Central. One also wonders how such crap is going to perform as a lead-in to his alleged 'quality' programming.

Folks, this is corporate verticality at its worst. Who cares if NBC is non-competitive at 8/7 Central, as long as NBCU can cover the cost by running DEAL OR NO DEAL on CNBC?

1984 is here. NBCU is going to win by not competing.

NBC's lone new hit show of the season is HEROES. The theme there is "Save the cheerleader, save the world."

I'd like to suggest a new slogan for NBC.

"Fire Zucker, save the network."

Bing. Bong. Bing.