Peacock Readying to Ruffle Feathers?

New NBC Entertainment chief Scott Sassa is moving quickly to react to the network’s disappointing performance in its first post-”Seinfeld” sweeps, with Tuesday night undergoing a minor make-over and other schedule changes said to be in the works. The prime-time scheduling swaps could ultimately affect the network’s critical Thursday night, a lineup anchored by “Friends” and “Frasier.”

Though just a month into the job, Sassa’s decision is not a surprise given the network’s drop to No. 2 overall behind CBS in the November sweeps, and its slim hold on the prized 18- to 49-year-old viewers, with Fox on its heels.

For now, the changes concern the sitcoms “NewsRadio,” which moves to Tuesday nights at 8:30 beginning Dec. 15, and freshman “Will & Grace,” which may eventually land at 9:30 p.m. “Will & Grace” is alone among NBC’s new shows to exhibit breakout potential this season. Inserted into the fall lineup Monday nights at 9:30, the sitcom, about two platonic yuppie friends (he’s gay, she’s not), was given a trial run at 8:30 Tuesday night, fueling speculation of a more permanent move.

Regardless of where the pieces fall, the changes mark the first significant move under Sassa, who replaced Warren Littlefield in October and is being thrown onto the fire as NBC tries to reclaim its once-lofty perch among the big four broadcast networks.

Meanwhile, the hottest rumors continue to swirl around “Friends” and “Frasier”--so much so that NBC put out an internal memo denying reports that either of the highly rated sitcoms would be moved.

A network source reiterated Tuesday that the changes would not affect NBC’s Thursday night lineup, which has “Friends” at 8 p.m. and “Frasier” at 9.

Still, based on the November ratings sweeps period, the network is running at a 16% deficit on Thursday nights compared to the audience last year.

Moving “Frasier” or “Friends” to a new night could help spread the wealth; the fact that Thursday lineup alterations are even rumored is a sign of how NBC has returned to the pack.

One scenario, echoed by several sources familiar with the proposed changes, has “Friends” moving to 9 p.m. Thursday and “Frasier” going back to Tuesday nights at 9, where it built a home last year. That same scenario has “Just Shoot Me” going from Tuesday nights at 9 to Thursday nights at 8.

To be sure, “Just Shoot Me” would benefit from the move back to Thursday, if last season’s ratings are any indication. When it aired at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, “Just Shoot Me” averaged 20 million viewers, while this season the sitcom is averaging 13 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

“If you think about it, [ABC’s] ‘Spin City’ and ‘Just Shoot Me’ have just cannibalized each other [Tuesday nights at 9], so [a move] makes sense,” said a source.

While NBC did edge out Fox during the November sweeps for 18- to 49-year-olds, the win was narrow for a network that has dominated among that key demographic.

Even the network’s once-vaunted Thursday night “Must See TV” lineup has experienced a dramatic drop-off this season now that the night is no longer anchored by “Seinfeld” at 9.

At the beginning of the fall season, NBC had high hopes that “Frasier” could help the network forget about the loss of “Seinfeld.” But “Frasier’s” audience numbers Thursday night are down 26% from what “Seinfeld” delivered during the same 10-week period last year, according to Nielsen.