NBC boots CEO, names new chief

BURBANK — NBC Universal named 20-year company veteran Jeff Zucker as president and chief executive officer on Tuesday, unseating longtime executive Bob Wright.

The announcement came after a week of chatter both inside and outside the industry that the media behemoth was leaning toward Zucker to usher in a “new era” of company operations, said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.

“Obviously they’re looking at the ongoing health of the NBC Universal operation and they’ve encountered some potholes on the road,” he said. “But I think they have confidence that Zucker will be the person who will guide them back into a better ratings situation and also keep the Universal Studios operation healthy.”

NBC’s networks ratings have taken a dip in the past few years after studio officials failed to replace hit shows like “Seinfeld” and “Friends” with programming that attracted similar viewership.

Formerly the head of NBC Universal Television Group since 2005, Zucker is a prime choice to lead the company toward its next stage of growth, officials from NBC parent company General Electric said in a statement.

“Jeff’s 20-plus years with NBC give him deep knowledge of the company’s strategy, people and culture,” General Electric’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt said. “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.”

Zucker’s promotion comes during a time when media companies are faced with a rapidly changing industry climate, as viewers can access content not only on the television, but on computers or other devices, Kyser said.

“Right now the industry is in a period of a lot of uncertainty — with all of the new technology and new thoughts on how content is delivered,” he said. “It used to be you take the content when we give it to you. Now you can take the content when you want.”

Zucker rose through the ranks at NBC first as an executive producer on the “Today” show, which became the most profitable show in television under his leadership.

Outgoing chief Wright started at NBC in 1986 as president and chief executive officer. NBC’s revenues increased from $3 billion to $16 billion in 2006 during his tenure. The network also launched cable networks CNBC and MSNBC and acquired Bravo and Telemundo during his tenure.

Wright will remain on the payroll of General Electric as a vice-chairman, said Gary Sheffer, a spokesman for General Electric.