NBC Names News Exec as President of Network

In a move that establishes a new line of succession at NBC, the network promoted NBC News President Andrew Lack to president and chief operating officer Tuesday, giving the network a second in command for the first time since 1986, when Robert Wright became president.

Wright was named chairman and will remain chief executive. The move frees Wright, 58, who also is vice chairman of NBC parent General Electric Co., to spend more time assisting GE Chairman-elect Jeffrey Immelt, though Wright said he will continue to spend the majority of his time at NBC.

Lack, 53, appears to be the heir apparent at NBC, ending months of speculation internally that the job would go to NBC Chief Financial Officer Mark Begor, a former GE Plastics executive with close ties to Immelt.

During a conference call with reporters Tuesday, Wright said only that Lack--who had been seeking more responsibility at NBC and rumored to be exploring options outside the company--”was clearly the logical, appropriate person” to put in the No. 2 job.

NBC sources said Lack’s promotion eased fears within the network that the GE culture was beginning to overshadow NBC after several high-level appointments of GE executives to top NBC jobs, including overseeing the TV station group and human resources.

The company is “ambitious for more growth,” said Wright, noting that he will “feel more comfortable” running NBC with Lack than he did alone. NBC has grown substantially under Wright’s watch but has been criticized for being too small at a time when many rivals are part of major media conglomerates. Though it remains the top-ranked network in key demographics, NBC has slipped to third place in overall viewership.

Immelt had made it clear that he wants NBC to expand, Wright said, whether by acquisition, internal growth or business extension, adding that the state of the financial markets may create opportunities.

Addressing persistent rumors that NBC is ripe for a takeover, Immelt said his role “is not to sell the company, not to merge the company, not to break it up.”

Lack, who spent much of his early career as a producer for CBS News, said a main challenge will be determining “what goes up on the screen, what are our best programs, what makes them better.” He has succeeded in meeting financial targets at NBC News, where he has been president since 1993, engineering a remarkable turnaround in a division demoralized by admissions about staging explosions in a report on General Motors Corp. trucks by its newsmagazine “Dateline NBC.”

Profitability has soared, as “NBC Nightly News” and the morning “Today” show have climbed to first place in the ratings during Lack’s tenure. He also oversaw the launch nearly five years ago of cable news network MSNBC.

The promotion is effective June 4, with Lack adding to the oversight of NBC’s TV stations, entertainment division, ad sales, affiliate relations, operations and cable networks, where he already has significant input into programming MSNBC and financial-news channel CNBC.

CNBC International and operations such as finance will continue to report directly to Wright, as will NBC Sports. The sports division is gearing up for the Olympics in Salt Lake City even as it attempts to recover from a major stumble in backing the start-up football league XFL.

No successor was named to the top NBC News job, though it is widely expected to go to “Dateline” Executive Producer Neal Shapiro. A former ABC News producer, Shapiro took over “Dateline” when it was still reeling and has made the program a major presence on NBC’s schedule.

Lack is the second NBC News executive to ascend this year to a key position at the network. Former “Today” Executive Producer Jeff Zucker was named president of NBC Entertainment in January.

Wright also voiced strong support for NBC West Coast President Scott Sassa, whose deal expires later this year, saying that he hopes and expects that Sassa will remain with the network for a long time.

Lack takes on his new duties amid financial belt-tightening and rising competition. NBC’s long-held Thursday night dominance has been challenged by Viacom’s CBS network, which moved the high-rated “Survivor” onto the night in February and will launch a third edition of the program in the fall. The “upfront” market, in which the networks sell commercial time in advance of next season, is expected to be challenging as advertisers reduce spending.

NBC announced hundreds of job cuts in February, and Wright noted that he and Lack “need to live by the sword,” referring to meeting financial targets. “It’s not a family-owned business,” he said.

*

Times staff writer Sallie Hofmeister contributed to this story.