BREAKING NEWS! 6TH UPDATE: Jeff Zucker decided to reveal this morning he’d been fired by Comcast because he’d just finished negotiating his severance package, insiders explain to me. So Zucker told reporters that the decision for him to leave as head of NBC Universal was made for him by Comcast COO Steve Burke 2 weeks ago during a face-to-face meeting. “He made it clear that they wanted to move on at the close of the deal and I was completely comfortable with that,”
Zucker told his favorite journalist, Bill Carter of The New York Times. “We had both gotten to the same place.” It has long been expected that, once NBCU switched out of GE’s control where Zucker was inexplicably protected by CEO Jeffrey Immelt, the savvy Comcast brass would recognize how badly the NBCU topper had “Zucked-up” his job. (I scooped how, during Zucker’s mishandling of the Conan O’Brien-Jay Leno Tonight Show situation, private emails went out from high-level executives at Comcast saying, “What a mess.”)
But General Electric, a company that used to prize only excellence, kept rewarding Zucker’s failures. Then again, Zucker was embarrassingly proud that he kept managing for margins, not programming for ratings. So NBC eventually stood for Nothing But Crap. When he got beat up by the media, he decided that the company should go to DEFCON 1 (the defense readiness condition representing expectation of an imminent attack) and set up a PR War Room filled with flacks to fight back. As a way to cover his ass in the event Comcast did kick him to the curb, Zucker earlier this year bizarrely sent up a trial balloon that he might run for public office instead of run NBCU. Now that he’s odd man out, no one is taking up a collection: Immelt bestowed on Zucker a new 3-year contract so Comcast had to negotiate a rich payout.
Zucker told senior staff later this morning it would be “business as usual” for him until Comcast took control of NBCU. But he ran to whine to NYT‘s Bill Carter, who’s generally recognized as a suck-up to network moguls. (Carter is writing a book about the Late Night Follies involving Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno and David Letterman that’s a sequel to his Late Shift. So the NYTimesman had worked overtime to ingratiate himself with Zucker.) Today, the NBCU chief described his forced exit as both “incredibly emotional” and “gut-wrenching” because he’d spent half his life at NBC. In previous interviews with journalists, Zucker had demonstrated considerable bravado and misplaced arrogance that “of course” he would run NBCU after Comcast took control of 51%. (He even made a bet with me that he’d still be NBCU’s media mogul two months after the merger. Hey, Jeff, I win!)
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But today, Zucker backpeddled. “Look, I knew from the day this was announced that this was a possibility,” he told Carter. “I wasn’t going to shut the door on anything. But 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.”
What’s incredible, and demonstrates how much he’s still in denial, is that Zucker told Carter he did not detect “any particular reason” for Burke firing him beyond Comcast’s wanting to make a change.
There is no doubt that Zucker’s legacy in Hollywood will be as one of the most disliked executives ever to head a Big Media company. His rival moguls laughed at his humiliations. The agents and managers and lawyers treated him like a buffoon. Even his own NBC show 30 Rock and anointed late night comic Jay Leno made jokes at his expense every chance they got. And each time he made an error in judgment, which seemed like all the time, he never paid a price for his mistakes, which made “Zucked” and “Zuckered” part of the media lexicon. That’s also why Zucker earned the moniker, “Teflon Jeff”.
Zucker’s firing followed what I reported was a “charm offensive” he launched back in May. The NBCU chief tried to demonstrate he was a new and supposedly improved Zucker, a nicer Zucker, and not the thin-skinned humorless bully of a boss which the journalism and showbiz communities have come to know and dislike and ridicule. “He’s being so nice to everyone, so friendly, a more lovable guy,” one top TV agent described Zucker to me after Universal boss Ron Meyer’s Easter party, then added presciently, “It’s because he knows he’s out.”
Indeed, the concensus was that Zucker’s charm offensive was really a defensive maneuver. It included taking full and sole responsibility for NBC broadcast network’s recent years in the ratings cellar. And failing to fire programming chief Ben Silverman a year earlier (though the boss still defended hiring that putz in the first place). And believing he could “reinvent” pilot season by getting away with spending little on new show development last year (though he defends spending heavily on this year’s pilot season). And installing Conan as Jay’s successor in late night wheen Leno was #1 and then putting Leno in primetime (though he defends replacing O’Brien as host of The Tonight Show).
Zucker was a wunderkind executive producer of The Today Show when, in December 2000, he was named NBC entertainment president to replace Garth Ancier, following a shaky start for the network that fall. But there were plenty of shaky fall launches for NBC under Zucker’s watch as NBC slipped from No. 1 to No. 4 in the ratings and failed to launch big noisy hit shows to succeed Friends and ER. Instead, Zucker embraced cheap and schlocky reality TV that undermined NBC’s quality brand. After a brief stint learning the ropes of the entertainment division where his biggest contribution was “supersizing” the network’s established Thursday comedies, Zucker quickly and surprisingly moved out and up. Eventually he replaced Bob Wright as CEO of NBC Universal. In that position, he presided over the downfall of the NBC broadcast network. He still can’t get it right. Even after spending enormously on primetime scripted development for this fall, NBC’s new lineup has been a mixed bag so far, with newcomers like The Event and Outsourced showing promise while Undercovers and Chase are lagging behind.
With nothing good to report ever about NBC Entertainment, Zucker liked to take credit for growing NBCU’s empire. The farflung cable division run by Bonnie Hammer remains a big revenue driver, providing 80% of NBCU’s $2.3 billion in profits for last year. But, really, Zucker by buying up cable properties (Oxygen, The Weather Channel, etc) has just been following the cable road mapped out by predeccessor Bob Wright to counter broadcast’s steep slide — yet taking credit for reinventing the wheel that drove NBCU there.
3RD UPDATE 8:10 AM: Still, the timing is a shocker. How bizarre that Zucker made the announcement to his staff this morning even though Comcast won’t clear regulatory hurdles until First Quarter 2011 at the earliest. (There’ve been considerable delays dragging out the deal approval process which was supposed to close by the end of Fourth Quarter 2010.) That makes Zucker not just a lame duck, but a sitting duck at the Big Media company. “We’re all in shock,” an insider told me before news of the Zucker-Burke meeting got out. “They must have fired him. He sent out a note to the staff along the lines of ‘I’ve loved my time here and it’s time for me to go.'” In fact, senior staff received word directly from Zucker about 30 minutes before the email went out wide to NBCU. (See email below.) One NBCU exec I spoke with this morning had just dealt with Zucker the day before. “I spoke to him on other topics and he gave no indication. He didn’t seem depressed. It was business as usual.” The news first broke early this morning on CNBC which reported that Jeff Zucker will step down as CEO of NBC Universal after the merger with Comcast. CNBC has a history as the in-house clearinghouse for news about NBCU, GE, and now Comcast.
Here’s the email that Zucker sent to NBCU staff:
From: Zucker, Jeff (NBC Universal)
Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 10:58 AM
To: NBC Universal Employee Communications (NBC Universal)
Subject: A Note from Jeff ZuckerSeptember 24, 2010
Well, the time has come. This time, to tell you a little news about me.
When Comcast assumes control of NBC Universal, I will leave the company.
It has not been an easy or simple decision. I have spent my entire adult life here, more than 24 years. This is the only place I have ever worked. The only professional thing I have ever known. I met my wife here, enjoyed the birth of our four children in that time, worked in almost every division of the company. And forged relationships, both professional and personal, that will last a lifetime.
I remember, vividly, the first day I came to work here in August, 1986. I walked to work at 30 Rockefeller Plaza that day; it was humid and my shirt was soaking by the time I got there. In the years since, I have enjoyed nothing but sheer pleasure in having the names NBC and Universal on my business cards. Sure, there have been ups and downs in the last quarter century. But when I step back, and think about what we’ve been through, I feel nothing but pride and joy. It has been a great run and I’ve been incredibly fortunate.
Now, it is clear to me that this is the right decision for me and for the company. Comcast will be a great new steward, just as GE has been, and they deserve the chance to implement their own vision.
I am proud that they will inherit a company in very good shape, with almost every one of our divisions enjoying their best year ever. The current strength of the company is a tribute to every one of you and the terrific leadership team that is in place.
We’ll talk more about the shape of the company in the months ahead. For now, I just wanted you to know my plans. I won’t be going anywhere until the day the deal closes, and that day is still months away. There is plenty left to do, and we have an obligation to each other to maintain what we have already built. I will continue to approach everything we do with the long-term interest of the company in mind, just as I always have; I know no other way.
I don’t yet know what my future will bring. I’ve spent the last 24 years thinking only about NBC Universal, and never contemplated anything else. I haven’t even begun to think about the next chapter. But I wanted to be honest with you about this news as soon as I could.
I love NBC Universal. And always will. And I am grateful to each of you.
My most heartfelt thanks.




Bummer, he was so good at being a Zucker.
GE needs to dump Jeff Gaspin as well. Maybe it is coincidence but the demise of NBC seems to coincide with the rise of Gaspin.
Jeff is a great guy and will land nicely somewhere else in the entertainment universe. The rumor I hear is that he will run media at either Google or Facebook.
Let him run ‘media’ – but not the company! Yahoo is a prime example of a formerly powerful – and arrogant – traditional-media mogul thinking he can run a digi-media play.
I certainly hope not.
Ben Silverman and Jeff Zucker together again? It could happen.
Agreed. Jeff Zucker got that position because he was really good at something.
Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose. — Bill Gates
It’s a great quote and applies to many of us. He’s just been pushed out. Too bad it didn’t happen in June since he could have enjoyed the whole summer in amagansett eating fish tacos at turtle crossing. He’ll bounce back.
Also, a least a sliver of shame on all those kicking someone right after being fired. Ok to do last week and maybe next week, but give the guy a break today.
Right, jb, right. Because Zucker no doubt gave so many of the NBC employees a break who were let go because the company was bleeding money thanks to his horrendous decisions. The man was an assclown and thank god he’s out. It’s probably too late to save NBC but it’s good for morale if nothing else.
I understand where you’re coming from if you were an NBC employee that got let go under Zucker. Just watched Up in the Air (good movie but disappointed after all the hype) and all those “I’m fired?” clips were like an anchor. Nothing good ever comes from kicking anyone when they are already down.
Jeff is not a great guy. He is a complete idiot when it came to TV. He did not get it, understand it or even made sense on his decisions. Comcast bought NBC because the people running NBC are not broadcasters and stole it. Congrats Jeff…you ran NBC into the ground.
Zucker is one of the biggest assholes out there and toxic. No way Google or FB would have him. MySpace might. Lol
Isn’t Zucker the moron who moved Jay Leno to the 10:00pm slot, cancelled Law & Order, and single-handedly destroyed Conan O’Brien’s career? He’ll land someplace okay, but it won’t be in entertainment; it’ll be someplace a whole lot hotter!
Really? Are you hoping Zucker will hire you? What other reason could you have for praising a no talent guy who ruined NBC with his huge ego and arrogance?
Jeff Zucker a great guy? “Shirley, you jest!” ;)
What is not said is how many lives these egoists destroy because they do not take responsibility for their actions. Zucker’s public mistake was Leno, but there are many not so big names that serve in these organizations whose lives are tarnished and turned upside down by this new management style. Comcast is the king of this style and one of the worst public companies to work for. Their leadership constantly barrages their companies into submission by coercion, threats, and bullying. After they bend you over they tell you what a great place you are working at and that you should be happy that you have a job!
Google? hahahahah yeah he wishes!
Quote from NY Times blog article about it:
Jeffrey Immelt, the chairman of G.E., praised Mr. Zucker’s performance at NBCU, saying, “In my opinion he has never gotten as much credit as he has deserved.” He added, “I love Jeff: I’d hire him again.”
This quote speaks volumes about the whole situation. In all honestly, it’s not all Zucker’s fault. He was brought up in the “GE” way of doing things which is the wrong way to run a media company. Who knows how Zucker would have done in his career at NBCU if he only had a different owner to report to. NBCU will be in much, much better hands with Comcast.
His tenure is indicative of how poorly Immelt has led GE. He would have been history years ago if Jack Welch were still there. The programming particularly at MSNBC is distinguished only by its gross mediocrity.
THERE IS A GOD.
Television has a conservative audience yet, Zucker, NBC and the rest of Lame Stream Media keeps spewing liberalism. Comcast is a real business. It focuses on the bottom line instead of an agenda like GE has.
I predict NBC will rise again with conservative fair and balance news and shows aimed at conservative “Tea party” America. WATCH!!!
Don’t let the door hit you on your way out, Motherzucker! (Somewhere right now, Conan O’Brien is smiling with a spring in his step.)
You bet your a@@ Conan is laughing. I would have loved to have seen his reaction!!!!
It will be even funnier when Conan gets destroyed in the ratings every night by the Daily Show/Colbert. I can’t wait to see the excuses from his dumb fans when he flops a second time.
Who cares? Conan is RICH B****! i doubt he cares about his ratings anymore, he’s so paid, he could live 3-4 lifetimes. CONAN 4 LIFE!
How’s Leno doing these days?….
Quite well by all accounts.
I’ve read your comments on here for months and it’s obvious you’re a Leno shill. The current state of The Tonight show: Lowest. Ratings. Ever.
Meanwhile, Conan O’Brien, America’s Comic, is preparing to kick butt at TBS beginning in November.
If Conan loses in the ratings war against the twin pundits, it will only be because of the idiot leftie youth 18-30 demographic that religiously tune in to our generation’s version of O’Rielly for their daily dose of political misinformation.
Wow. You really must’ve sprained your little right-wing brain squeezing that poor, twisted thought out. That looks like it hurt when you spewed it out on this blog.
O’Reilly is on what pretends to be a News network and Stewart and Colbert? Air on Comedy Central. Try to come to grip with that, OK?
Speaking of coming to grips… Fox IS a news channel, and rated number one because they do a far better job of separating their news reporters and their opinion talking heads than CNN, MSNBC, and the broadcast networks, NOT because they are Right wing in their opinion.
And the 18-30 demo group THINK Stewart and Colbert are news, regardless of what network they are on – polls and opinion surveys have said so right on the pages of both news magazines like Time and Newsweek, and showbiz rags like the Hollywood Reporter. Look them up while you are coming to grips with them…
Oh, god, not the Conan squad again!
Didn’t expect this until October. Going to be a lot more shakeups in Universal City, that’s for sure.
It would be nice if Gaspin was next to go…
Zalaznick first….
ding dong the witch is dead…
sounds like a good plan, hopefully this means that Comcast will not be shy about cutting other dead weight on that network
I don’t know what I’ll miss more: his ineptitude or his arrogance… He single-handedly ran the most powerful network into the ground, and was promoted for it.
Brings a crocodile tear to my eye.
Bend over, fellow stockholders. This just cost us $30 million for his golden parachute. Ouch.
It’s not really a golden parachute. He has about 2 1/2 years left on his contract. When you make someone leave before their contract is up, you have to pay them what they would have made. It’s a contract, idiot.
Did you read the article? They gave him a gift of a contract right before they are to sell, allowing Zucker a golden parachute to which he’s not entitled. It’s not an arm’s length transaction, it’s corruption between good old boys.
He is a despised despot. Haven’t read the Bill Carter b—job article yet. What Comcast and most NBC-U employees really said was, “don’t let the door hit your a— on the way out.”
Mr. Jeff Zucker is OUT!
I really don’t know how I really feel about this change of leadership at NBC/UNI. Jeff Zucker had been doing great with “Must-See-TV” on Thursday’s with a great sitcom line-up. He has the Number ONE late night talk show currently with Jay Leno at the top with The Tonight Show. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is doing Ok.
Yes, mistakes in programming happened and poor selections of new programming did not help the network too, to include the sister cable network MSNBC.
I cannot pinpoint where things got off track but I sincerely hope that COMCAST can step in and see ALL programming on ALL networks they will be responsible for, to include reviewing all shows with all talent reviewed as well. Look at contracts and see where replacements can be made to both NBC and MSNBC shows/anchors from dawn to nighttime too.
I have mixed feelings about Jeff Zucker since I am a dedicated and loyal Will and Grace supporter and ally and he made the right choice with Will and Grace.
Wish all the best to Mr. Zucker and his family in their future endeavors.
Linda, I’ve wanted to say this for a long, long time but I’ve always bit my tongue. but now with Zucker’s demise the time has come. I can no longer hold back. You are a sadly misinformed, gullible, common sense-lacking person. Zucker is not good at his job. Leno’s ratings are the lowest in Tonight Show history and he will likely be out soon after Comcast takes over, if not before. Then what will you do? Conan was NOT treated fairly by NBC as you always claim, but was screwed up the behind BIG TIME. Jimmy Fallon is more than OK, he’s coming off a huge Emmy hosting victory. The NBC fall lineup is an unmitigated disaster. I watched five minutes of The Chase and thought it was asinine. I’m sure you enjoyed it.
OK, LindaTNo1, I’ve spoken my peace. I’m sure there are thing of which you hold good knowledge. Show biz may not be one of them. I wish you good health and godspeed. Now you can turn on the week’s worth of Glen Beck shows you DVD’d.
Nate:
Linda wishes Zucker and his family well and you somehow involve Glen Beck in this. What kool aid are you drinking? Wow!!!!
Nate,
How do you ‘DVD’ a television show? It’d probably be easier to Tivo or DVR it. I guess you don’t know anything about technology. Sorry that NBC didn’t pick up your really excellent sitcom pilot spec. Now get a life.
Yeah right! You Conan fans are so easily spotted. Leno’s not going anywhere now or after Comcast takes over. Move on please. You’re beating a dead horse.
conan got royally screwed by nbcuni….thanks to zucker and his brilliant team. LOL!! get a life
Anyone else who had decimated a broadcast network to the extent he has would have been fired long ago. He cost the network tens of millions in the late night fiasco, not to mention allowed everyone—from late night shows to the MSM—to take potshots at the company for months. His pilot record during his tenure was abysmal. His hiring of Ben Silverman was universally panned. Even the current Thursday night comedy block has been garnering more critical acclaim than high ratings.
Jeff Zucker has made a career of failing upward. Which makes politics the obvious next arena for him.
Linda, you ignorant sl*%. Jeff Zucker had nothing to do with Will and Grace, or “Must See TV” for that matter. Zucker was still on the Today Show when that was on the air. It was Warren Littlefield, the last of the great NBC Entertainment chiefs, who gave Will and Grace the green light. Check your facts.
What he said. Actually, by not spending to develop successors to Friends and the like on Thursdays and resorting to lazy stunts like Supersizing the strong shows by adding 10 minutes to them, Zucker mortgaged NBC’s future.
Warren Littlefield was a great programmer and a genius. I was privileged to work for him.
Zucker (bullet-headed troll that he is) is no Warren Littlefield.
LOL. Zucker out. CNN’s chief out. Network news ratings in the toilet. How’s carrying Obama’s water for him working out, MSM?
exact-a-mundo, couldn’t have said it better myself!
The only network shows I watch are House (once in a while) Big Bang Theory and 2½ Men.
Like we care what you watch.
I got fired by Comcast this past spring. (Nobody important, so don’t worry about it.)
They are no joke. In my personal example, a project I was in charge of was delayed. And that was that, I was gone (after some HR machinations).
That’s how they operate. They take heads off when something goes wrong and ask for accountability. There was no way they were going to let the guy stay after Leno.
It’s nothing personal. That’s just how they operate. That’s their culture. They don’t sit and say “well, here were all the factors that made your job difficult.” They don’t give two craps. It applies to executives all the way down, except for probably the very top.
Don’t you wish more media companies were like this?
And I’m not being sarcastic. It’ll motivate employees to give their 110%.
Next stop for Zucker: Obama administration.
About time! Surprised he could hang on this long with the ratings in the toilet and the entire Ben Silverman debacle.
Now, maybe NBC Universal can also fire some of the morons on the film side of things…
What a great day for us NBCU employees! Perhaps NBC can find its way back to the top and we employees can be proud of our jobs once more. I’m so happy!
You said it! My friends at 30 Rock are going out for margaritas after work to celebrate! They said they now hope and pray that all of the dead weight executives who were allowed to keep their jobs – despite massive failures on their part – will be the next to go!
Finally!
In other news, Comcast hires Ben Silverman to replace Jeff Zucker
It’s got nothing to do with politics. It’s just business. MSNBC leans left because Fox is to the right. GE or Comcast really don’t care, as long as people watch, visit the site, buy products and the division makes the most possible money.
Zucker’s real problem is how he made all the wrong moves for years, to destroy the mother-ship broadcast network, with no accountability. THAT’S a business book Bill Carter won’t be writing.
You said it!
He not only operated with no accountability, but disparaged the network he was running! Will never forget his now infamous line, “I don’t think we’ll ever be able to say, ‘NBC is number one in prime time.’
Managing for the margins, his nasty comments during the writer’s strike. The guy was egotistical, petty, and ultimately, just a terrible leader. Certainly did not motivate anyone unfortunate enough to work under him!
Jeff Zucker’s mishandling of NBC, particularly 3hen it came to the way he treated certain shows, caused me to stop watching the network, especially after the ugly Conan O’Brien/Jay Leno debacle.
Good riddance, and now… perhaps NBC can begin to recover some of the audience it’s been losing to CBS, ABC and the cable nets.
Nikki,
We know Zucker was not your favorite person, for all the obvious reasons. Do you think Comcast did this now to make it very clear to all of his supporters that they should seek new employment as well ?
Perhaps clear the decks so Comcast can hire their own team.
Two years from now – Immelt – gone. Gaspin – gone. Leno – gone. All the Zucker suckups entrenched in NBC programming – most gone.
Immelt is the CEO of GE, the company that is selling their stake in NBC to Comcast. He wouldn’t have sway over anything at the new company anyway.
That is to say, I expect Immelt to still be in charge of GE in two years if GE successfully divests itself of the mess that is NBC.
Good Riddance! Hopefully Comcast will clean out the leftist cesspool at NBC/MSNBC?
Amen.
Is this really a surprise?