Congratulations, Brian Roberts! You've just bought a $30 billion media conglomerate that includes a legendary movie studio, a huge stake in the potentially revolutionary Hulu and one of the most successful collections of cable programming assets around.
Unfortunately, you also just inherited the NBC broadcast network.
The once-proud Peacock in recent years has become the poster child for those who believe the network TV business model is just a few heartbeats from extinction. Before today's announcement, more than a few pundits wondered aloud whether you might simply chuck NBC altogether.
But let's assume you're not ready to give up on the notion of broadcasting. Let's imagine you still think there's value in owning a brand with 70 years of history and entry into just about every home in America.
If that's the case, there's no reason NBC couldn't yet find salvation.
Here are five suggestions for how to bring the network back from the brink:
1. Part ways with Jeff Zucker-- or at least ban him from any oversight of the network.
Business historians will ultimately decide if Zucker was a good steward of the overall conglomerate known as NBC Universal. This much is true: Take out the performance of the broadcast network, and Zucker's tenure at the Peacock has seen plenty of successes (and profits).
There's a reason he's risen so high in the GE culture: Zucker knows how to make money. And while he didn't put Bonnie Hammer in charge of cable giants USA and Syfy, he wisely left her alone to expand her previous success (and tapped the awe-inspiring Lauren Zalaznick to transform Bravo into a powerhouse in its own right).
But this story is about what can be done to save the NBC television network. And quite simply, Zucker has done far more harm than good to that part of the business.
He needs to be taken out of the NBC Entertainment equation.
The problem began when then-NBC chief Bob Wright shipped Zucker from New York to Burbank and put him in charge of programming. It was a move not unlike Disney's decision two decades ago to install a young Bob Iger at ABC Entertainment: You want your future leaders to understand the ins and outs of your core business.
But Iger wisely relied on the talents of programming deputies Ted Harbert and Stu Bloomberg, empowering them to run the day-to-day of the network. Peter Rice, another CEO-in-training, appears to be on a similar track at Fox right now.
Not Zucker. He didn't get Hollywood, and Hollywood didn't like him.
Not trusting any of his subordinates, Zucker micromanaged and second-guessed at every turn early on during his tenure. He extended the Peacock's ratings supremacy in the short term-- keeping "Friends" on the air two more seasons was a huge deal-- but did nothing to build any new long-term franchises.
Things didn't get better when Zucker moved back to New York. He wisely hired the talented Kevin Reilly to run development, but never empowered him to completely run the network.
