# NBC's Fall Prime Time 10 Hours



## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

As most know, this fall NBC has allocated the M-F 10 pm slot to Leno and, of course, Sunday night will be NFL football. (Saturday is reruns and failed-show-burnoff night). That leaves 10 hours for other prime time programming.

Much to no one's surprise NBC renews 'Law & Order: SVU'. Though traditionally slotted at 10 pm, presumably this show will occupy a 9 pm slot.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

My gut feeling is that NBC is going to crash and burn with Leno taking up 5 hours each week .. but I guess in the end it's all about the $$$.


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

I may watch from time to time. I like to watch the 10 o'clock news in bed and then some DVR'd content... may switch back and forth between news and Leno.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Doug Brott said:


> My gut feeling is that NBC is going to crash and burn with Leno taking up 5 hours each week .. but I guess in the end it's all about the $$$.


I don't know if NBC will crash and burn except for me and others who prefer scripted TV, but in my blog I call it a degenerative disease. In March of this year Jeff Zucker, President & CEO of NBC Universal said of his company: "We are, first and foremost, a cable network company."

And in the GE annual shareholders report, GE's CEO Jeff Immelt said: "NBC UNIVERSAL earned about $3 billion last year. It's likely to be down in 2009, as we expect the network environment to be particularly tough. But cable, more than 60% of our earnings, is going to continue to be a source of strength, building on its ratings success in 2008."

Today a news story appeared in MediaDaily News with the headline Bravo Transfers Reality Mojo To 2 New Scripted Series.

In the meantime, on it's broadcast network NBC, the hours of scripted TV may wither away.


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## jhollan2 (Aug 31, 2006)

I will NOT be watching Leno. I cant stand him - my preference is with the daily show and colbert. If they were truly trying to fill the hour I would have rather they move the local news up the hour and give him 11pm. BRING BACK THE SCRIPTED SHOWS!!!


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

phrelin said:


> I don't know if NBC will crash and burn except for me and others who prefer scripted TV, but in my blog I call it a degenerative disease. In March of this year Jeff Zucker, President & CEO of NBC Universal said of his company: "We are, first and foremost, a cable network company."


I guess change is inevitable .. I have found myself watching more Cable series in the past couple of years. I doubt there is anything Leno can say to pull me in. I don't dislike him or even necessarily what he has to say .. I'd rather see more shows like Journeyman .. But like I said, it's all about the dollars and I guess none of us wants to pay enough anymore so the show doesn't go on.


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## Fontano (Feb 7, 2008)

Daytime
Primetime
Late night
Late late night
Eartly morning

With the age of the DVR in full swing, does the airtime really matter?


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Fontano said:


> Daytime
> Primetime
> Late night
> Late late night
> ...


Not to me either, but cable channels have an advantage over broadcast channels. Many repeat their shows at different times over a week, so they can draw more real time viewers over a week.


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

phrelin said:


> As most know, this fall NBC has allocated the M-F 10 pm slot to Leno and, of course, Sunday night will be NFL football. (Saturday is reruns and failed-show-burnoff night). That leaves 10 hours for other prime time programming.
> 
> Much to no one's surprise NBC renews 'Law & Order: SVU'. Though traditionally slotted at 10 pm, presumably this show will occupy a 9 pm slot.


Thanks, I was wondering what would happen to this show with no more 10pm time slot.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Sirshagg said:


> Thanks, I was wondering what would happen to this show with no more 10pm time slot.


Don't forget Southland .. The writers apparently can say anything they want and bleeps are added in post production for words that aren't allowed. That show at 9pm (8pm Central) could be an issue.


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

NBC is definitely heading in the wrong direction. I also can not stand Leno, so whereas previously I watched on average two or three 10PM shows on NBC each week, now I will watch 0, because Leno is on daily and does not interest me. I wouldn't be surprised soon to see them start selling time like the MyNetwork channels do. Very sad that the "Proud as a Peacock" network has fallen so low.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Drew2k said:


> Very sad that the "Proud as a Peacock" network has fallen so low.


yeah, I hope the other three see this as an opportunity to do better things rather than following the path that NBC has chosen.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

Doug Brott said:


> yeah, I hope the other three see this as an opportunity to do better things rather than following the path that NBC has chosen.


More likely, they'll go the other way. "If NBC can do it, why can't we?" :nono2:


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## dcowboy7 (May 23, 2008)

why does it seem everyone doesnt like Leno yet he always kills Letterman in the ratings even in 18-49 ? & NBC is worse in the ratings.


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## jhollan2 (Aug 31, 2006)

I dont know the demographics, but I wonder if there is a difference in the audience between the "late night" viewers and the primetime people. I have to be at work pretty early (female, 31, attorney) and have NEVER watched any late night anything. I watch the scripted shows on a 20 minute time delay and DVR the rest to watch whenever I want. It may just be that leno and letterman deal with different types of viewers within the age groups?

I just dont see the same people missing lost to watch leno.


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## paulman182 (Aug 4, 2006)

I gave up on broadcast network TV over 20 years ago.


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## SamC (Jan 20, 2003)

Where NBC is going to crash and burn is out here in "flyover country".

NBC is telling its affiliates "we just don't care". Many of these affiliates have decades long dominate local news (in my market, the NBC gets double the ratings of the ABC and CBS, combined). Its like that all over the country. One station, generally NBC or CBS, dominates local news. And, as with Fox's take over of the NFL, we must understand that in smaller markets, the stations are not all equal. Rimshot stations, UHF (although if the digital conversion every were to actually happen, that wouldn't matter any more), stations spread out over multiple towns, tower power, etc. 

NBC is going to get dumped off 10-20 affiliates in favor of one of the other Big 3 and find itself settling for the weakest station in those markets.

It is also going to find stations that will simply do local news at 10, or run stuff like Oprah, or even an evergreen rerun like Andy Griffith. Especiall in CT and MT, where this Leno deal is at the even more rediculious hour of 9.

And NBC has committed. To cancel Leno means it has to spool up and launch FIVE hour dramas. No network has ever launched five dramas in a single year.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I agree with most of you. The latest strategy by NBC seems more "cut-and-run" than anything else. I think this crisis has been a long time coming, in fact I feel strongly that the root cause is the massive salaries paid to _Friends_ and _ER_ people in the 90s. By putting all their cash into those shows, there was no money for long-term development, and an entire generation grew up thinking of NBC as the network with nothing but _Law&Order_ and _Dateline._


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

NBC was the king of TV in the 90s, with great scripted shows. Reality TV swept most of them away, and the Law & Order and CSI-type shows are long played out. The only NBC show that I watch is My Name Is Earl.

IMO, Leno at 10pm is going to fall flat on its face, and NBC is going to be STUCK. As others have said, the affiliates will simply replace Leno with local content; news or some other show. NBC will have effectively eliminated 5 hours of weekly primetime network time, and will have a hard time trying to get it back.

I guess we'll see...


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## trainman (Jan 9, 2008)

SamC said:


> NBC is going to get dumped off 10-20 affiliates in favor of one of the other Big 3 and find itself settling for the weakest station in those markets.


The more things change, the more they stay the same: 30 years ago, NBC lost a few big affiliates because they were doing so horribly in the ratings at the time. (For example, WSB in Atlanta switched from NBC to ABC.)

Of course, it's a different situation these days, both because of vastly increased cable/satellite penetration since then (and the related explosion of programming choices for the average viewer), and also the "digital transition" causing changes in OTA reception areas for many stations.


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

Zucker appears to believe that the days of the all-powerful national TV network are quickly coming to an end. He's going cheap-cheap-cheap on his general programming and then spending his dollars on one of the few things that still pull in big numbers - sports. Leno's ratings may be lower than L&O or other dramas, but it'll make far more money for the network. (Screw the affiliates, he doesn't care about them.)

The next possible shoe to drop is Saturdays. If he didn't need it to burn off failed shows, he'd probably give that back to the affiliates. In the end, NBC will probably look a lot more like a competitor to the CW than CBS.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

In the USA Today article being discussed on another thread, the writer thinks these NBC shows have been or will be renewed for the fall season: _Heroes_, _Law & Order_, _Law & Order: SVU_, _The Office_, and _30 Rock_. If this turns out to be true, the list represents 4 hours out of the 10 available hours. At least one of the remaining six hours will go to _Dateline_.

According to the USA report the following shows are "on the bubble": _Chuck_, _Medium_, _My Name Is Earl_, _Parks and Recreation_, and _Southland_. The problem is, with only five hours to fill, these shows will be competing against the reality/game show options plus a number of one hour dramas and 30 minute comedies "ordered to pilot" previously, for example: 

A pilot from Dick Wolf's company (the Law & Order franchise) called _Lost and Found_, about a female Los Angeles detective (Katee Sackhoff) who clashes with her superiors and is banished to work cases with anonymous victims.
A quirky legal drama pilot _Legally Mad_ from David E. Kelley revolving around a woman (Kristin Chenoweth) who takes a job at her father's Chicago law firm.
A post-apocalyptic drama pilot _Day One_ from "Heroes" screenwriter Jesse Alexander ("Alias," "Lost").
Only an idiot would not try _Lost and Found_ given Wolf's success record for NBC and Sackhoff's current popularity. But then NBC is idiotic.

For reasons known only to NBC, _Day One_ appears to have a heavy commitment despite _Heroes_ "modest" ratings and the dismal failure of the similar sounding _Jericho_ on CBS.

But NBC has a new chief programmer, Angela Bromstad. So we'll see where it all ends up.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

mreposter said:


> Zucker appears to believe that the days of the all-powerful national TV network are quickly coming to an end. He's going cheap-cheap-cheap on his general programming and then spending his dollars on one of the few things that still pull in big numbers - sports. Leno's ratings may be lower than L&O or other dramas, but it'll make far more money for the network. (Screw the affiliates, he doesn't care about them.)[...]


I tend to agree with this view. With NBCU showing 50% more revenues than the broadcast network, Mr. Zucker sees a paradigm shift occuring, and it looks like he's trying to get out in front of it, rather than be dragged along.

It's not unlike what newspapers and magazines are trying to do... replace the conventional print and delivery model with an electronic one. Unfortunately, unlike cable, there's no "$ per subscriber + ad revenue" model out there for them. It's just "ad revenue", and the competition for those $$$ is fierce. /steve


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

On that list of bubble shows, I'd like to see _Chuck_ and _Southland_ back (although _Southland_ just "looks" good at this point .. jury is still out) ...

But I kinda doubt _Chuck_ will make the cut and _Southland_ could easily move to another network .. including HBO or Showtime.


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

_Lost and Found_ with Katie S. sounds interesting, and might give us more of a human-interest touch to the typical detective show, since she'll have to explore the lives of the victims more. I've liked Castle so far and this might be another good addition to the DVR list.


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

Maybe NBC can just simplify their entire schedule down to three shows. Instead of "Must See TV" their slogan can be "TV For Dummies"

M-F 8pm - DATELINE!
M-F 9pm - Law and Order (random version)
M-F 10am - Jay Leno Show


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## Pete K. (Apr 23, 2002)

I enjoy watching Leno. That said, I think putting his show on opposite CSI Miami/NY on Mondays and Thursdays may be suicide. Also, what's to stop ABC from putting on its best at 10 p.m.?


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## dcowboy7 (May 23, 2008)

mreposter said:


> Maybe NBC can just simplify their entire schedule down to three shows. Instead of "Must See TV" their slogan can be "TV For Dummies"
> 
> M-F 8pm - DATELINE!
> M-F 9pm - Law and Order (random version)
> M-F *10am *- Jay Leno Show


Leno at 10am. :lol:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

From MarketWatch:


> NBC Universal's profit plunged 45% in the first quarter, hurt by declines in advertising sales at its owned-and-operated TV stations and higher programming costs at the NBC Television Network, General Electric said Friday.


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

dcowboy7 said:


> Leno at 10am. :lol:


Anybody remember when NBC put Dave Letterman on in the mornings? I loved the show, but it was an absolute disaster.


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## jeffshoaf (Jun 17, 2006)

mreposter said:


> Anybody remember when NBC put Dave Letterman on in the mornings? I loved the show, but it was an absolute disaster.


I thought his daytime fireworks on July 4th was great - they'd show a shot of the skyline (lots of blue sky w/ a few clouds) and you'd hear the sound of fireworks exploding... :lol:


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## Italia (Dec 8, 2008)

BattleZone said:


> NBC was the king of TV in the 90s, with great scripted shows. Reality TV swept most of them away, and the Law & Order and CSI-type shows are long played out. The only NBC show that I watch is My Name Is Earl.


I don't think a network will ever dominate like that again. FOX is solid now and we have other networks. There is so much original programming on "cable" stations now,I'm sure this doesn't help. Tivo/DVR has made such an impact too.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

We still have several NBC shows in our To Do list. _Heroes_, _Medium_, _L&O:SVU_, _Life_, _L&O_, _Office_, _30 Rock_, _Parks & Rec_ (maybe not for long), _Southland _and NBC "by extension", _Friday Night Lights_ and_ L&O:CI_. /steve


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## Charise (Jan 25, 2004)

I hope they renew _Medium_ and _Life_, but it doesn't look good right now. Other than golf on the weekends, and those two shows, I'm not sure I watch anything else on NBC.


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

I used to watch Medium, but they lost me when they did that 3-part reporter storyline where Alison ended up in the press and the reporter woman ended up dead. The show had a series of really over the top storylines that just lost all credibility. The shooting at her husband's office, when Manny lost his job... etc, etc.


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## Charise (Jan 25, 2004)

mreposter said:


> I used to watch Medium, but they lost me when they did that 3-part reporter storyline where Alison ended up in the press and the reporter woman ended up dead. The show had a series of really over the top storylines that just lost all credibility. The shooting at her husband's office, when Manny lost his job... etc, etc.


I don't know details of the real Allison DuBois's life, but I wondered if there were elements that were from her life in some of those episodes. :shrug:

Anyway, I'm still watching along with 4 other households in my family.


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## GaryPotter (Apr 12, 2008)

Man, NBC is a mess.

If I were them, I'd scrap Leno and import some other shows to fill up the remaining time. I can think of at least a dozen British, Canadian, or Australian shows that they could get for really cheap.


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

I may have posted it as a joke, but if Leno is even halfway successful I bet NBC does eventually strip in programming so it's the same show at 8, dramas a 9 and Leno at 10. They're essentially going to turn NBC into a cable network and then rely on Football and the Olympics to keep the ratings up. 

The one thing that surprises me is that NBC hasn't given Saturdays back to the affiliates. Maybe they're just keeping it around as a dumping ground for failed shows.


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## oldschoolecw (Jan 25, 2007)

2008-2009 Canceled or moved TV Shows on NBC
http://www.zap2it.com/news/custom/p...ws-photogalley,0,4333404.photogallery?index=5


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## clueless (Dec 6, 2004)

mreposter said:


> Anybody remember when NBC put Dave Letterman on in the mornings? I loved the show, but it was an absolute disaster.


Yep. I was in college at the time and it was a dorm favorite.


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

There are more rumors that GE is trying to set it's entire entertainment division (NBC, all the cable nets, Universal Studio, etc) to Time Warner.

Daily Beast Blog

This rumor has been floating around for at least a year. While it may make financial sense, I just don't see the feds letting this go through. It would likely mean shutting down MSNBC in favor of CNN. Time Warner would probably have to sell it's interest in the CW network to CBS. There are just too many overlaps here to make this viable.

But then again, you never know...


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

mreposter said:


> There are more rumors that GE is trying to set it's entire entertainment division (NBC, all the cable nets, Universal Studio, etc) to Time Warner.
> 
> Daily Beast Blog
> 
> ...


Along with all the regulatory problems, NBCU made money for GE in 2008 and I think GE/NBCU management suspect it will do so again in 2010 as the TV biz shakes out. Meanwhile, within the GE family GE Capital struggles.

It isn't like anyone has the cash to offer GE for NBCU that would make a significant dent in GE's current assets. But who knows?


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## rnbmusicfan (Jul 19, 2005)

Here's a thought. I was watching yesterday's unfunny episode of The Office. For this season, and probably now on, I'd say about half or less of its episodes are funny and even at that, I doubt NBC will garner huge ratings for it to anchor Thursday Night, which is NBC's night, when its a select audience that watches the show in the first place. It doesn't seem to have a mainstream appeal that a show like Friends or 24 can have. I think ABC's Thursday night has wider appeal, even if it skews female. 

How about NBC moving The Office, maybe 30 Rock an hour earlier, then a drama , like Southland at 9pm ET next season. Parks and Recs. is ok - but it seems to copy The Office in idea and the characters aren't as funny. I don't watch Earl, but it probably would do well as rerun material on TBS and Nick/Nite, as Nick/Nite seems to be headed on airing quasi family shows - anything that is recent. Given that its produced by 20th Century Fox, it could go to FOX as well for more new seasons.


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## rnbmusicfan (Jul 19, 2005)

mreposter said:


> There are more rumors that GE is trying to set it's entire entertainment division (NBC, all the cable nets, Universal Studio, etc) to Time Warner.
> 
> Daily Beast Blog
> 
> ...


I'm not necessarily an advocate (too many cable networks under one owner imo), but Im just thinking that if it were to happen, they could just fold its interests in MSNBC and CW, or for MSNBC change the format, lower the programming cost of it and permit cable and sat operators to move it to a higher tier. That essentially happened to ZDTV when it became G4 and Court TV when it became TruTV over time. A more mainstream network with higher programming costs and need to be in most HH, downsized/downgraded into something niche. Perhaps TW could rebrand it and make it a political commentary network (talking heads), while CNN be a news channel. It's cable, and not kids oriented, so I can't see the FCC/DOJ getting too involved on it. Probably some overlap with TNT and USA as well, but I'm sure they can figure it out to keep enough programming on both networks.

CBS owned CW stations already can get baseball and can run news, Dr.Phil, Dr. Oz, The Doctors, Three Stooges even, there's plenty of programming. I don't think CBS is suffering owning WSBK or KCAL for example that doesn't air CW. Not a big deal extending that to WPSG, KBCW and other CBS co-owned stations if CW were to cease. 90210 and Gossip Girl can move to cable, and CBS can just work on maintaining CBS. Anyways, Tribune, the big network affiliate of CW, has already stopped branding any of its stations with the CW.


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## jadebox (Dec 14, 2004)

Hmmm ... here's a thought .... maybe all the networks will fold and the local TV stations will be forced to provide programming of local interest to support their local community. After all, that's the reason they were given the right to use the air space ..... 

-- Roger


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

rnbmusicfan, media consolidation has long been a concern in Washington. Back a few years ago when there was talk of CBS/CNN merging, there was some discussion of the issue. TW would likely want to combine NBC News with CNN and then pull the plug on MSNBC, moving the big names like Olberman over to CNN. All the news would then be branded CNN, a bit like ABC's sports is branded ESPN.

And lumping all those networking into Time Warner might set off alarm bells over at the FCC. In the end, it would probably be approved, but not without a great deal of review.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Just when you think you've anticipated everything, from The Hollywood Reporter:


> NBC's final preparation for its Monday infront was halted Thursday with the sudden death of vp drama development Nora O'Brien.
> 
> The scheduled Thursday screenings of the pilots for "Mercy," "Off Duty" and "State of Romance" were postponed to Friday, when the network brass also is slated to see "Parenthood," on whose set O'Brien died, as well as "Day One," "100 Questions for Charlotte Payne" and "Trauma."


From a separate article:


> Sources said O'Brien, a six-year NBC Universal veteran, died of a brain aneurysm. She was 44. According to the Contra Costa Times, O'Brien complained of dizziness and collapsed at about 9:20 p.m. She was pronounced dead shortly before 10 p.m. at Marin General Hospital.
> 
> O'Brien came to NBC in January 2008, when she was named vp drama programming at Universal Media Studios, which merged with the network in December. At the studio, she worked on the upcoming NBC drama series "The Philanthropist," among other projects. O'Brien joined NBC from sister cable network Sci Fi, where she was vp original programming for four years. There, she developed episodic and longform programs including the miniseries "The Lost Room" and worked as a programming executive on "Stargate SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis."


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

phrelin said:


> Just when you think you've anticipated everything [...]


Puts all this in perspective, doesn't it? 44 is way too young...


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## SamC (Jan 20, 2003)

mreposter said:


> rnbmusicfan, media consolidation has long been a concern in Washington.


Some in Washington, from all political perspecives, have expressed concern over GE as it is, as well. The other big media companies are esentually in the media-entertainment business. CBS Corporation, NEWS Corporation (Fox, Fox News Channel), The Walt Disney Company (ABC); Viacom, and Time-Warner (CNN), are, more or less, companies that make TV programming and other entertainment products. While you might feel that this or that channel's news is "biased" or whatever, the bias, if it exists, just exists. Time Warner or NEWS Corp, as corporations has no business interest in any particular public policy, more than any other person or company might have.

Then you have GE. The worlds 10th largest corporation. Owners of all sorts of things. From makers of airplane engines to railroad locomotives to oil rigs to nuclear power plants. From the 4th largest seller to the US military to the largest single contractor for "green" government projects. From a company that want to sell its big jet engines and military products worldwide, to a company that would appreciate protection for its failing consumer appliance business. From a company that sells nursing home insurance to a company that has union legacy costs to its blue collar workers similar to the auto companies. GE has 1000 vested intererests in what the government does on 1000s of issues. And, once the world's 7th largest bank, you have GE Finance, which now owes the governement millions.

From all sides of the political spectrum, this is troubling to many.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

SamC said:


> Some in Washington, from all political perspecives, have expressed concern over GE as it is, as well. The other big media companies are esentually in the media-entertainment business. CBS Corporation, NEWS Corporation (Fox, Fox News Channel), The Walt Disney Company (ABC); Viacom, and Time-Warner (CNN), are, more or less, companies that make TV programming and other entertainment products. While you might feel that this or that channel's news is "biased" or whatever, the bias, if it exists, just exists. Time Warner or NEWS Corp, as corporations has no business interest in any particular public policy, more than any other person or company might have.
> 
> Then you have GE. The worlds 10th largest corporation. Owners of all sorts of things. From makers of airplane engines to railroad locomotives to oil rigs to nuclear power plants. From the 4th largest seller to the US military to the largest single contractor for "green" government projects. From a company that want to sell its big jet engines and military products worldwide, to a company that would appreciate protection for its failing consumer appliance business. From a company that sells nursing home insurance to a company that has union legacy costs to its blue collar workers similar to the auto companies. GE has 1000 vested intererests in what the government does on 1000s of issues. And, once the world's 7th largest bank, you have GE Finance, which now owes the governement millions.
> 
> From all sides of the political spectrum, this is troubling to many.


I'm not sure that GE is any more troubling because it owns NBCU. In fact many financial types feel GE should get rid of NBCU because the ownership of a media conglomerate brings too much public scrutiny to GE, an opinion I personally think is true except I don't think it's "too much public scrutiny", just "more public scrutiny" which is good.

And there is something to be said for having one player in "the biz" affected by a corporate philosophy that focuses on both this quarter's profit growth and a long-term big picture view. It has allowed NBCU to "discover and invest in" the strengths of a variety of cable channels and experiment with Hulu, something neither Disney/ABC nor CBS/Viacom could effectively do because of the stupidly hard Wall Street focus on last weekend's box office results and last night's ratings because they are media companies only. Fox, of course, is the real odd duck here because it's owned and controlled by a rich guy from the news industry who is the reincarnation of William Randolph Hearst.

As someone whose preference for entertainment is scripted TV, I'm hoping that the structural diversity in the big 6 - Disney/ABC, CBS/Viacom/Paramount, News Corp/Fox, GE/NBC Universal, Time Warner, Sony/Columbia/TriStar/MGM/etc - will result in having a diversity of scripted tv programming available. It's a hope, not a prediction.


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

The "internet" has forced huge changes to the music business, and while the focus of most of the press is the hard times it has caused for the big music companies, it has actually made a very positive impact on smaller bands. They've been able to build up better relationships with fans and distribute their own products and merchandise. 

It may take longer, but there should come a day when something similar may happen with video. Why should a production company waste all that time and money trying to get through network bureaucracy when it can market and distribute programs directly?


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Variety reports "unconfirmed reports":


> Looks like the cops on "Southland" will be back on the beat in the fall. Word is that NBC has picked up the Warner Bros. TV/John Wells Prods. drama for 13 episodes, probably for a fall slot.
> 
> ...Meanwhile, after looking as if the end was near for NBC comedy "My Name is Earl," word surfaced late Friday that the net and studio 20th Century Fox TV are negotiating for a fifth season pickup of the low-brow laffer.


The Hollywood Reporter reports it as fact:


> NBC has renewed midseason drama "Southland" as the network gets ready to unveil its fall lineup to advertisers on Monday. NBC on Friday night picked up 13 episodes from "Southland," exec produced by John Wells.
> 
> Still waiting to hear their fate are bubble series "Chuck," "Law & Order," "Medium" and "Earl," the recently premiered "Parks and Recreation" as well as the network's crop of pilots. NBC and "Earl" producer 20th TV are in negotiations for a full-season pickup.


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

This schedule is sounding less and less interesting every day. NBC needs to take some risks to create new hits. By renewing Southland, they may be hoping for a new Hill Street Blues, but right now what they really need is a new Lost or Desperate Housewives.

Monday will tell us just how safe they're going to play it.


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## jhollan2 (Aug 31, 2006)

I wish they would post the new pilots they produced online and let us download and vote on them. I'd totally watch them and tell them the likelihood of my watching again. I may even be willing to register and give some demographic info if they let me get some of the crap off the air and try some new stuff!


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

jhollan2 said:


> I wish they would post the new pilots they produced online and let us download and vote on them. I'd totally watch them and tell them the likelihood of my watching again. I may even be willing to register and give some demographic info if they let me get some of the crap off the air and try some new stuff!


Some of the pilots were still being filmed last week. _The Hollywood Reporter_ has a site called *Pilot Log* from which you can link to the list ordered by each network. Also, the page shows the latest stories related to the upfront. But there is no place to vote on your favorite.


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