Zucker Keeps Digging NBC's Grave

Jeff Zucker has lost his mind.

Several publications are reporting that NBC has reached a production agreement with DirecTV that will enable FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS to remain on the air for another season. DirecTV will premiere the new episodes before NBC.

This is one giant step way beyond sharing a telecast window with a co-owned cable entity like USA. NBC is farming out a marginal show that will most likely never be a ratings giant to a satellite television distributor.

I don't get it. NBC/Universal doesn't have enough venues to share the telecast window within their own enormous vertically integrated mega-corporation? NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, USA, A&E, Sci-Fi, Bravo, Sleuth, or Chiller not good enough?

What's the point of being so vertically intertwined if you can't even manage to produce a marginal show like FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS?

Do you get it? NBC will now be aring re-runs of programming produced for a satellite distributor. That's nuts!

What's next? Why not give away preview episodes THE BIGGEST LOSER on DVD with a Happy Meal at McDonald's?

Fire Zucker. Save the network.