Jeff Zucker, the chief executive of NBC Universal, said Tuesday the broadcaster was moving to save as much as $50 million a year by reducing its reliance on expensive pilots of new series on the NBC television channel.
The decision to eliminate most pilots was made as the company looked for ways to cut costs in response to the Hollywood writers’ strike and the slowdown in the economy, Mr. Zucker said. “It’s clear we are in a recession in the United States, and we’re going to have to manage our business accordingly,” he said.
Networks like NBC have long relied on big-budget pilot episodes of television series in an effort to attract advertiser support for the rest of the season. But Mr. Zucker said the pilots, the first episode of a show and whose production cost has shot up to $7 million for an hour from about $3 million three years ago, were a poor indicator of the future success of a series and many never move beyond the pilot stage.
“So you’re spending money on programs you’re not going to get,” Mr. Zucker said.
He said NBC might still commission “one or two” pilots a season, but would not do so as a matter of course.
Other networks are making similar calculations. A senior executive at one of NBC’s competitors said Tuesday that “we will definitely do fewer pilots than we have before.” This executive, who asked not to be identified because the network has yet to make its plans public, added that it had cut the number of scripts ordered for next season in half.
Mr. Zucker acknowledged that one reason for the decision was that NBC has suffered from weak prime-time ratings for the last several seasons. “Sometimes you see the world from a different perspective when you’re flat on your back,” he said. “At NBC Entertainment we’ve been flat on our backs for the last few years.”
Mr. Zucker was in London during a stop on the way to the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. He addressed NBC Universal’s 16,000 worldwide employees in a “town hall” videoconference — the first time, he said, that the company had conducted such a meeting from London.
NBC Universal, which is 80 percent owned by General Electric, with 20 percent held by Vivendi of France, has been trying to build up its international arm, with Mr. Zucker setting a goal of increasing its revenue from outside the United States to $5 billion in 2010 from $2.8 billion in 2006.
The company also said Tuesday that it had agreed to purchase a 26 percent stake in a unit of New Delhi Television of India that owns several entertainment channels aimed at the Indian market. The investment, valued at $150 million, comes after several other international expansion moves last year by NBC Universal.
More Zucker cuts. This is what happens when this idiot gets his hands on stuff. Cheap filler with no backbone becomes the norm and quality shows are shoved to the wayside.
NBC/Universal could save even more money by firing Jeff Zucker and hiring someone who doesn't have any experience driving companies into the ground.
Zucker clearly peaked as executive producer of "Today" and has been sliding downward ever since. Sad thing is that he insists on taking NBC with him.
With stupid business decisions like this (and virtually every other one he's made), NBC and CW (or even My Network TV) could be in a horse race for fifth place.
So, if I'm reading this right, Zucker wants to stop making pilots (i.e. new TV series) for good??? Well it says they'll make a couple, but basically, they're not going to invest in making pilots any more? How do they expect the network to grow at all, then?
Originally posted by immie_8: So, if I'm reading this right, Zucker wants to stop making pilots (i.e. new TV series) for good??? Well it says they'll make a couple, but basically, they're not going to invest in making pilots any more? How do they expect the network to grow at all, then?
Not quite -- basically they won't go through the same development season where they order 50 or so scripts and 20 or so pilots, paying hundred of thousands for the scripts and millions for the pilot, only to eventually pick 4-8 shows to put on the schedule, and from those only have a couple at best succeed. They will instead go strictly with backdoor pilots, which means they will order 1 episode of a show they like, see how it does, then if it does good then order it into a series. That's what they are doing with the new Knight Rider, and I guess that's the way they'll go from here on out.
Zucker and Silverman believe that they can find all the successful material they need by 'copying' overseas versions of shows and by creating spinoffs of their current shows. their top comedy, The Office, is a copy of an overseas show. their top Drama, Law & Order SVU is one of several spinoff/copies of the original Law&Order. Their top new shows this fall included Bionic Woman and American Gladiators and the upcoming Knight Rider: recreations of past work. NBC smells success in continuing with this formula.
Personally, it looks like short term thinking to me.
Originally posted by immie_8: So, if I'm reading this right, Zucker wants to stop making pilots (i.e. new TV series) for good??? Well it says they'll make a couple, but basically, they're not going to invest in making pilots any more? How do they expect the network to grow at all, then?
Not quite -- basically they won't go through the same development season where they order 50 or so scripts and 20 or so pilots, paying hundred of thousands for the scripts and millions for the pilot, only to eventually pick 4-8 shows to put on the schedule, and from those only have a couple at best succeed. They will instead go strictly with backdoor pilots, which means they will order 1 episode of a show they like, see how it does, then if it does good then order it into a series. That's what they are doing with the new Knight Rider, and I guess that's the way they'll go from here on out.
Well I predict NBC will always get enough modest hits to remain in the game, but they'll never get out of fourth with the measly crops they've been producing and the stuff they're proposing for the future. Personally, I think the Knight Rider movie will do well, but later on the folks will see it was a ploy for a cheap redo (ala Bionic Woman) and quickly jump ship again. I completely agree about just firing Zucker and letting a monkey run it into the ground. Perhaps some of the chimps who've been scheduling ABC here lately can simply jump ship.
quote:
Originally posted by Jay: NBC/Universal could save even more money by firing Jeff Zucker and hiring someone who doesn't have any experience driving companies into the ground.
Zucker clearly peaked as executive producer of "Today" and has been sliding downward ever since. Sad thing is that he insists on taking NBC with him.
With stupid business decisions like this (and virtually every other one he's made), NBC and CW (or even My Network TV) could be in a horse race for fifth place.
What a crop. Best be ready for 3 nights of American Gladiators here soon.
quote:
Originally posted by WelcomeToK-VilleAmericanGladiators: The article doesn't go into depth about what happened to the pilots in production. They have in some various form:
Robinson Curuso (sp?) Fear Itself Blue Blood Backyards & Bullets The Philanthropist Kath & Kim Man of Your Dreams Zip The Office Spinoff
For cutting pilots, NBC has probably been the most active during the strike geting pilots going.
On the other end of the spectrum, FOX has decided to make a $10 million dollar pilot called Fringe. They must have a lot of money to burn.
I forgot Played or Be Played. The pilot script is supposed to be amazing. Blue Blood, Played or Be Played, and Kath and Kim should do very well for them. If not, there's always Journeyman and Bionic Woman marathons that can be aired.
Oh, i hope this means the new Office Spinnoff is out i'd hate for my favorite show to get split up... lets just cross our fingers and hope this stops the spinnoff.
Originally posted by WelcomeToK-VilleAmericanGladiators: I forgot Played or Be Played. The pilot script is supposed to be amazing. Blue Blood, Played or Be Played, and Kath and Kim should do very well for them. If not, there's always Journeyman and Bionic Woman marathons that can be aired.
I actually read the description for Play or Be Played at thefutoncritic.com and it sounds like something that I'd enjoy watching.
i'd hate for my favorite show to get split up... lets just cross our fingers and hope this stops the spinnoff.
