NBC Says It’s Not Looking for a Cable News Partner

National Broadcasting Co. said Wednesday that it was not seeking any partners for its proposed competitor to Turner Broadcasting System’s Cable News Network, although Reuters news service said it had been approached by NBC at one point.

In addition, NBC said now-defunct negotiations with Turner over a possible investment in CNN had delayed its timetable for making a decision on launching a new cable news service.

The Wall Street Journal reported in Wednesday’s editions that NBC decided to delay its decision on establishing a CNN competitor to better gauge response to the idea from cable operators, NBC affiliates and the board of its parent, RCA Corp.

Quoting an internal NBC business memo, the Journal also said NBC had considered several options for setting up the new cable service, including a possible partnership with Reuters.

Mary Lou O’Callaghan, director of news information for NBC, said the business plan mentioned in the story apparently was based on an early draft copy of a plan prepared last summer for internal review. In a statement, NBC said the plan was “dated in substantial respects. For example, NBC is not considering any partnership arrangement for its proposed cable news venture.”

Michael Reilly, investor relations manager for Reuters, said that NBC and Reuters had been discussing the new cable service since last summer but that Reuters “indicated it was not interested in taking an equity position.”