NBC Not for Sale, GE Chair Tells News Staff Employees

John F. (Jack) Welch Jr., chairman of General Electric Co., on Monday told NBC News employees that the NBC network is not for sale.

“GE likes NBC. NBC is not for sale. GE wants to be part of NBC,” Welch said in a meeting at Studio 8-H to introduce the new president of NBC News, Andrew Lack, to the staff of NBC News. NBC, once the top-rated broadcast network, has dropped to third place in prime time, and there have been rumors in recent months that GE, the corporate parent of NBC, has wanted to sell the network.

Addressing the NBC News staff for the first time, Welch said he wanted them to know that “we at GE are behind this institution totally.”

Along with NBC president Robert Wright, Welch had been actively involved in the search for a new NBC News president to restore the image of NBC News since the “Dateline NBC” incident involving the rigging of a car wreck.

Lack--who has won 16 news Emmys and has been both an award-winning documentary producer as well as the creator of two CBS News prime-time newsmagazines, “West 57th” and “Face to Face With Connie Chung”--was praised by Welch and Wright for his strong news credentials and producing talent.

Experience in TV news production was a sought-after element since the resignation under fire of former NBC News president Michael Gartner, who had no TV-journalism experience before taking the job. The appointment of Lack was seen by many within NBC as a sign of the increased importance of prime-time newsmagazines as profit-centers for each of the broadast networks.

Although no specific budget increases for the news division were mentioned, both Wright and Lack said after the meeting that the GE executives have assured them of financial support for the news division, which has had cutbacks in recent years.

“I wouldn’t have wanted to be in this job” without “the commitments for more resources” for programming, Lack said. “My main message to the staff today was that the embattled and beleaguered days for NBC News are over.”

Lack, who was both praised and criticized at the time for the fast-paced opening credits of “West 57th,” noted that the show had won many news Emmys before it was canceled.

Despite his background in newsmagazines, however, Lack emphasized that “NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw” will be “my top priority,” although he said he did not yet have specific thoughts about any changes in the program, which currently is without an executive producer.

“Just what will be that balance in resources for hard news and other kinds of programming is the key question for the future here,” said one NBC News producer.

Still, the producer added, “People at the meeting today were glad to have someone who’s got such a strong background as a creative news producer in the job. They’re skeptical because of previous NBC News presidents. But they’re hopeful about Lack.”