It’s a day of holiday wishes for TV Newsies. Earlier today, CNBC president Mark Hoffman sent out a note to his staff; earlier this week, we received the note from CNN Worldwide president Jim Walton; and now NBC News president Steve Capus talks up the “enviable position” his network is in. “All of our marquee programs — Today, Nightly News, Meet the Press — finish the year in first place,” Capus writes.
Capus continues: “At MSNBC, the story just keeps getting better. MSNBC will finish 2007 as the fastest-growing fully distributed cable channel… that’s not just news, but ALL of cable. And a big reason why: Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Interestingly, Olbermann is the only person mentioned by name in the 1,077 word letter.
“Challenges,” “sacrifice,” “honor and privilege”… you can read it all after the jump…
As 2007 comes to a close, and we look ahead to what will undoubtedly be a history-making 2008, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the amazing things we have accomplished together in the past 12 months.
NBC News heads into the new year in an enviable position: one of unparalleled success. All of our marquee programs – Today, Nightly News, Meet the Press- finish the year in first place. The Today show just marked 12 unprecedented years of week-in, week-out dominance for 626 consecutive weeks – a streak that is unmatched in all of broadcast television. Nightly News continues to reinvent itself, remaining topical, important, informative and relevant, and our viewers have responded in winning numbers. In recent months, these two programs have pulled away from their competitors, widening their margins of victory and cementing their first-place positions. The Weekend editions of those broadcasts are in great hands and enjoying terrific success. Meet the Press heads into a presidential election year having just marked 60 years on the air… The legacy of the program, combined with its current success and headliner bookings, makes it a critical component of the national political dialogue in 2008.
The issues currently facing our industry underscore why Dateline NBC, and Peacock Productions are more important than ever. Time and time again, Dateline has proven itself to be a powerhouse of this news division. From their award winning documentaries to groundbreaking investigations and unforgettable stories, the groups at Dateline and Peacock are a big part of what makes NBC News versatile and ahead of the curve.
The NBC News Channel continues to be the gold standard for affiliate feed services, all the while redesigning their operation to meet the shifting needs of 200-plus NBC stations and the network news division during this extraordinary period of change. The News Channel is perhaps the nimblest operation in our organization and over the last year it has had an undeniably greater role in the overall success of NBC News.
At MSNBC, the story just keeps getting better. MSNBC will finish 2007 as the fastest-growing fully distributed cable channel… that’s not just news, but ALL of cable. And a big reason why: Countdown with Keith Olbermann. MSNBC is up 32% in primetime for the year, and Countdown, which beat CNN in the 8 p.m. hour for the year, is up 55% over last year. There have been significant gains in almost every daypart at MSNBC – this is a remarkable achievement in one of the most competitive arenas in all of television.
Of course, we made a huge investment in NBC News this year when we brought MSNBC here to 30 Rock. It truly went off without a hitch. Walking through the newsrooms on the 3rd and 4th floors, and into the studios, one thing is clear – this is finally the world-class operation it deserves to be. One news operation feeding many outlets.
MSNBC.com, which has just unveiled an exciting redesign and a first-rate new video player, is up 16% in 2007, now reaching 85 million unique users each month. Todayshow.com has soared in recent months, giving online news consumers the unique and complete value of NBC News. The Daily Nightly and World Blog continue to be destination sites for our online audience, and we have ambitious plans for 2008.
In years past, a note like this would be about done at this point… but these days, we have so much more to talk about. The fact is, NBC News has become much more than just a television operation. And we are just getting started, having made some significant investments in 2007 with an eye towards the future.
Our education initiatives – iCue, NBC Archives On-Demand, Channel One, our NYFA Digital Journalism Course – are all huge projects that we took on in 2007, and each will be game changers for this news division. Our mobile division, NBC News 2Go, and NBC News Radio, continue to be critical outlets for providing our audience with news & information on the go – wherever, whenever they need it. Our international expansion projects are truly just ramping up, with announcements in the works for deals that will bring NBC News to parts of the world where we’ve never been before. The team at Weather Plus has never been more integrated into NBC News, and we are fortunate to have their creative spark and competitive drive as part of all of our platforms. We have found incredible ways to utilize our unmatched archive, and in projects like Retirement Living can reach new audiences with the considerable output of NBC News.
All of these things underscore the same theme… our business has changed, and NBC News is on the leading edge of that change in every conceivable way. No other news division can say that. There has never been a more exciting time to do what we do – as journalists and as innovators. There will be tough times, and there will be exhilarating times – it’s all part of the equation. But one thing is absolutely clear – what we accomplish will keep us as the leaders of today, and more importantly, position us as the leaders of tomorrow. For what we’ve done, and what we will do, I want to thank all of you for your patience, your dedication and your professionalism.
I can’t say that 2008 won’t have its fair share of challenges. I am sure it will – simply look at our industry for telling examples all around the world. But I can honestly tell you that there is no place I would rather be to face them. And that’s not because we have the best ratings, or we are the best positioned for the future, or have the most flexible news division. It’s because of every single one of you. Day in and day out, you are truly the best in the business. It’s an honor and a privilege to work alongside every one of you.
In the coming weeks, I hope you all will have a little bit of time to rest, recharge and enjoy some well-deserved time with family and friends. For those of you who are working for us in places far from home, some in dangerous parts of the globe, my thanks and gratitude for your sacrifice. May the New Year bring us all good health and great success.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your families.