Jeff Zucker Leaving NBC

NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker told the New York Times' Bill Carter that he will leave the network when the company is acquired by Comcast.

Zucker acknowledged that the decision was "not his own choice," according to Carter, and said that "in the last nine months it became increasingly clear that they did want to put their own team in place -- and I didn't want to end up being a guest in my own house."

Zucker's departure from NBC has been widely expected, and his time at the network — while it coincided with the growth of the company's cable networks — was marked by ratings problems at flagship network NBC.

Two issues came to define the end of his 24-year career with the network: the hiring of controversial executive Ben Silverman to run the network's entertainment division, and the late-night debacle that brought Jay Leno from the "Tonight Show" to 10PM and then back to the "Tonight Show," replacing Conan O'Brien after mere months on the show.

Zucker was an NBC phenom, joining the network as a sports researcher and becoming the wunderkind 26-year-old executive producer of the "Today" show before working his way up the corporate ladder.

Zucker has said that he might run for public office in the future.

Zucker signed a three-year contract with NBC late last year.

Comments

[littlebrowngirl]

10:40 PM on 09/28/2010

This guy must have had pictures on someone because I have never seen a guy so bad at his job keep it so long.

[Minnehaha]

04:16 PM on 09/28/2010

One last point. Will MSNBC stop airing " lock-up" all weekend? News does occur on the weekends, and people get sick of the prison theme.

[paintitblack]

11:04 AM on 09/27/2010

Stay OFF the ballot. What's with rich people thinking they can hold public office? Geez.

[LittleMittens]

10:03 AM on 09/27/2010

Maybe under new management they can stop canceling amazing shows like "Kings", while they let go of all those miserable 'reality' shows...

[GunnyJ]

05:56 AM on 09/27/2010

See ya Jeff!

[Carbon Forteetoo]

02:35 AM on 09/27/2010

They should let me run NBC. I would have the best stuff on ever! My first rule for network programming would be ZERO realty shows.

[Sean Meek]

12:29 AM on 09/27/2010

Another A hole From NY, Who Wanna Bring More A holes from NY to Run Things in LA.

[MicheleMoore-Happy1]

12:10 AM on 09/27/2010

Stephen Burke, Zucker's replacement, was a Bush Ranger who raised over $200,000 for George W. Bush's 2004 reelection campaign.

Do we really need another Roger Ailes running another major media conglomerate?

See Foxing NBC - http://www.michelemoore-happy1.com/2010/09/foxing-nbc.html

[wecanonlyhope]

11:25 PM on 09/26/2010

I cringe at the thought of what this turkey's severance package looks like.

[donafelipa]

10:47 PM on 09/26/2010

Another boy who managed to fool people into thinking he had a clue when he didn't. And did it successfully for a very long time. Now he's rich. Let's not weep too many tears. Tah-tah birdbrain.

[andthatsnotall]

10:13 PM on 09/26/2010

Guess Jeffy's all Zuckered out...

[Katzencats]

09:11 PM on 09/26/2010

Is he the dude responsible for cancelling L&O (the original) after moving it all over the schedule to accomodate Leno?

Adios!

[MDCA]

08:10 PM on 09/26/2010

GROAN! Another rich boy aspiring to run for office!

[scarletxoxoxo]

08:05 PM on 09/26/2010

Good

[kenhamlett]

07:58 PM on 09/26/2010

It will be interesting to see what this will mean for the MSNBC line-up. I do not know anything about Cox and its political orientation. But, they said on today's news shows that all the folks in the NBC family are feeling really nervous. Apparently, the Cox folks arrive quite soon.

[MicheleMoore-Happy1]

01:09 PM on 09/27/2010

Cox is Right Wing Repuplican to the core. NBC is being FOX'ed.

See Foxing NBC - http://www.michelemoore-happy1.com/2010/09/foxing-nbc.html