or


[02/06/07 - 03:19 PM]
Jeff Zucker Named President and Ceo of NBC Universal Succeeding Bob Wright, Who Will Remain Vice Chairman of Ge
Zucker succeeds Bob Wright, who has served in said role for 21 years.

[via press release from NBC]

JEFF ZUCKER NAMED PRESIDENT AND CEO OF NBC UNIVERSAL SUCCEEDING BOB WRIGHT, WHO WILL REMAIN VICE CHAIRMAN OF GE

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- February 6, 2007 -- General Electric Company Chairman and CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt today announced the appointment of Jeff Zucker as President and CEO of NBC Universal, succeeding Bob Wright, who has served with distinction in this role for 21 years and will continue to serve as a GE vice chairman. Zucker�s appointment is effective today.

�Jeff will succeed one of the true giants in media -- Bob Wright -- to whom we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude for helping to build this great media company,� Immelt said. �By any measure, Bob is one of the most successful media executives ever. He transformed NBC from a broadcast network into a diversified global media company. He was always able to see what was coming next, whether it was cable, satellite, Hispanic broadcasting or digital media. Bob�s strategic vision and execution kept NBC growing.�

Zucker, 41, is a 21-year veteran of NBC Universal. As president and CEO, he will have responsibility for the strategic direction and operations of all NBC Universal properties. Zucker is one of the industry�s most experienced executives and has spent much of his career working in NBC�s news, sports, and entertainment divisions. As CEO of the NBC Universal Television Group since 2005, Zucker has overseen the company�s television programming and distribution operations, which account for two-thirds of the company�s overall profits.

�Jeff Zucker is a terrific talent and the right person to guide NBC Universal on the next stage of its growth,� Immelt said. �Jeff�s 20-plus years with NBC give him deep knowledge of the company�s strategy, people and culture. In the past few years, Jeff has shown that he is an energetic, focused leader who can rise to a challenge. His creative experience, expertise in news and broadcasting and intense passion for the business were immensely appealing to the Board and to me during this succession process.

�We have real business momentum, and the time is right to make this important transition,� Immelt said. �I like the team we have in place today, and believe that the future for NBCU is bright.�

In addition to serving as a vice chairman of GE, Wright will assist with the leadership transition at NBCU.

Immelt said, �Bob Wright has been a great GE leader. I am pleased that he will continue to serve as a GE vice chairman and that I will continue to have his counsel in our executive office and boardroom on a broad array of issues.�

Zucker said, "Bob has been a terrific mentor to me throughout my career, and I am honored to be his successor and fortunate to assume responsibility of a company that is so well positioned for future growth. I�ve spent my entire career at NBC and had the privilege to work with the best in the business every day. I look forward to continuing to work with this talented management team as we take NBC Universal to the next level.�

As CEO of NBCU�s television group, Zucker has overseen the company�s news, sports, and entertainment divisions; owned-and-operated television stations; cable entertainment properties, including USA, Sci Fi, and Bravo; cable news properties, CNBC and MSNBC; Spanish language network Telemundo; and the company�s television studio, first-run syndication, and global distribution efforts. Previously, Zucker had served as president of the NBC Entertainment, News & Cable Group. Before that, he served as president of NBC Entertainment.

A five-time Emmy winner, Zucker also served as executive producer of the �Today� show, where he turned the morning news program into the single-most profitable program on television. Additionally, Zucker served as executive producer of NBC�s coverage of several major events, including the �Decision 2000� election broadcast, the 1993 and 1997 presidential inaugurations, and the Persian Gulf War. His full biography can be accessed HERE.

Zucker graduated from Harvard College in 1986 with a bachelor�s degree in American History. He served as president of The Harvard Crimson from 1985 to 1986. He and his wife, Caryn, have four children.

Under Wright�s leadership, NBC�s revenues grew from $3 billion in 1986 to more than $16 billion in 2006. During his tenure, the company expanded its ownership of broadcast television stations, launched groundbreaking cable networks such as CNBC and MSNBC, and acquired fast-growing media assets such as Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo and the arts and entertainment cable network, Bravo. In 2004, Wright led NBC�s acquisition of Vivendi Universal Entertainment, creating NBC Universal. The acquisition added such key assets as the USA Network, SciFi Channel, Universal Studios and Universal Parks in Orlando, FL and Hollywood, CA, expanding the company�s portfolio and establishing NBC Universal as a leader in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

Wright, 63, became chairman and chief executive officer of NBC Universal in May 2004 in conjunction with the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment. He became president and chief executive officer of NBC on Sept. 1, 1986, and became chairman and chief executive officer on June 4, 2001.

�It has been an honor and privilege to lead NBC Universal for the past twenty years,� Wright said. �I hand over the reins now with great pride in what we�ve accomplished and great confidence about what NBC Universal will become. We have momentum, outstanding support from GE and Vivendi, and a terrific executive in Jeff Zucker. I look forward to watching the next chapters of this wonderful company unfold under Jeff�s leadership.�

Before leading NBC, Wright served as president of General Electric Financial Services and, before that, as president of Cox Cable Communications. He has had a diversified career in general management, marketing, and broadcasting. Much of it has been with General Electric. In 2005, Wright and his wife, Suzanne, founded Autism Speaks after their grandson was diagnosed with the disorder. The nonprofit foundation, which is dedicated to raising awareness about autism and funding biomedical research, has already raised more than $50 million. Wright's full bio is available HERE.

NBC Universal is 80% owned by GE and 20% owned by Vivendi. The company�s board of directors comprises senior executives from GE/NBCU and Vivendi.

***

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is Imagination at Work -- a diversified technology, media and financial services company focused on solving some of the world�s toughest problems. With products and services ranging from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing and security technology to medical imaging, business and consumer financing, media content and advanced materials, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.

About NBCU

NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.





  [february 2007]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[11/21/24 - 09:08 AM]
Food Network's After-Hours Culinary Poker Game "Wildcard Kitchen" Raises the Stakes with Brand-New Season of All-Star Battles
In the season premiere on Tuesday, January 7, Vegas big spenders Jet Tila and siblings Michael and Bryan Voltaggio up the ante by bringing double the cash to the table, while serving up delectable dishes and lots of trash talk to determine who will be crowned king of the high-stakes kitchen.

[11/21/24 - 08:38 AM]
Video: WE tv Reveals Sneak Peek of "Toya & Reginae" Returning This January
The stakes are higher and the drama deeper for Toya Johnson Rushing and daughter, Reginae Carter, this season as the duo continue to juggle life, love, family, and their ever-growing careers in the spotlight... from different coasts.

[11/21/24 - 08:35 AM]
Video: Peacock Releases Official Trailer for Twisted Romantic Comedy Series "Laid"
A woman finds out her former lovers are dying in unusual ways and must go back through her sex timeline to confront her past in order to move forward.

[11/21/24 - 08:03 AM]
FOX Entertainment and Hulu Announce New Multi-Year Content Partnership Deal
Today's announcement renews the major program output deal between the two companies, as well as an agreement that allows Hulu to stream out-of-season episodes of key FOX unscripted programs.

[11/21/24 - 08:01 AM]
Max Original Drama Series "The Pitt" Debuts This January
The series is a realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in today's America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

[11/21/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Black Doves" - Official Trailer #2 - Netflix
When a spy posing as a politician's wife learns her lover has been murdered, an old assassin friend joins her on a quest for truth - and vengeance.

[11/21/24 - 08:00 AM]
Hallmark Channel and Sixthman Celebrate the Spirit of Christmas with the Hallmark Christmas Cruise 2025
Fans, their loved ones, and friends both old and new will have a unique opportunity to create lasting traditions and unwrap unforgettable new memories.

[11/21/24 - 08:00 AM]
Rejoice in the Holiday Spirit at the "National Christmas Tree Lighting," Hosted by Four-Time Grammy Nominated Country Music Artist Mickey Guyton, Friday, Dec. 20 on CBS
This beloved American tradition, presented by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, will feature musical performances of holiday classics by Adam Blackstone, Muni Long, Stephen Sanchez, Trombone Shorty, James Taylor, The War And Treaty and Trisha Yearwood.

[11/21/24 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "XO, Kitty" Season 2 - Date Announcement - Netflix
Kitty is back! "XO, Kitty" Season 2 arrives on Netflix January 16.

[11/21/24 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "Polo" - Official Trailer - Netflix
From executive producers Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, comes an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the fast-paced and glamorous world of Polo.

[11/21/24 - 05:01 AM]
Video: "Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In this next installment, Gromit's concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a "smart" gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own.

[11/21/24 - 01:11 AM]
Isak Ferriz and Veronica Echegui Star "Ciudad de Sombras," The New Netflix Thriller Series
A gruesome crime has occurred in La Pedrera - Casa Milà: a burning body appears on the façade of Gaudi's emblematic building.

[11/21/24 - 12:26 AM]
Video: "Marry YOU" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A civil servant skeptical of marriage on a government team tasked with promoting marriage struggles to find a partner for a rural bachelor in order to escape the team.

[11/20/24 - 12:30 PM]
Slam Dunk! Disney, ESPN and the NBA Team Up to Present "Dunk the Halls" - the First Real-Time, Animated NBA Game: San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks on Christmas Day
"Dunk the Halls" will be presented on ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+.

[11/20/24 - 12:06 PM]
Australian Hulu Original Scripted Drama Series "The Artful Dodger" Is Back for Season 2
The eight-episode Season 2 has an all-star returning cast including Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Jack Dawkins aka The Artful Dodger, David Thewlis as Fagin, and Maia Mitchell as Lady Belle Fox.