From coping with a digital future, to today’s launch of Hulu, to the challenges of NBC’s financial health and his own mortality, NBCU CEO Jeff Zucker sat down with The New Yorker’s Ken Auletta this morning to a packed house at Manhattan’s Bryant Park Grill. The event was sponsored by Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. TVNewser was there…
• On Nightly News’ drop to second place: Zucker played up Nightly’s total viewer win in 3 of the last 4 weeks. Praising the work of Brian Williams and his competitor Charlie Gibson, Zucker called the current race “a tie” and more of a “PR battle” as it does not affect NBC’s bottom line.
• On Don Imus‘ return to radio, and whether Imus would be welcome on NBC: “We’ve moved on from that.”
• On Fox Business: Calling it “light,” Zucker said he’d be more concerned if the News Corp. channel were more like CNBC.
• On Katie Couric‘s Evening News: Zucker says the broadcast has wisely returned to its roots. He added it would have been better for CBS to “under promise and over deliver.”
• On NBCU’s news networks: Zucker reminded the crowd “50% of NBC Universal” revenue comes from the cable networks including MSNBC and CNBC.
• On the concern over China’s human rights record and the upcoming Beijing Olympics: “We won’t immerse ourselves in the politics” of China, Zucker said. He added that NBC News would cover any newsworthy topics related to those concerns.
• On the continued talk that GE will sell NBCU after the Beijing games: Zucker said NBC will be more of a player in the 18 months after Beijing than in the months leading up to it. The presidential election, the Super Bowl and the Vancouver Olympics among the events to come. But Zucker did add “if NBCU is underperforming” why wouldn’t GE want to sell.
Zucker also talked about his battle, twice, at age 31 and again at 34, with colon cancer and what his future holds. “I thought I would live for forever until I turned 31.” “I joke with my wife that I’ll give this another two years” and then retire. Zucker added that idea does not sit well with his wife.