GE selects Zucker to head NBC Universal
General Electric Co has promoted Jeff Zucker to the post of president and chief executive officer of NBC Universal Inc. he has been given the responsibility of reviving revenue growth at its television and movie studios and increasing sales from the Internet.

Zucker, 41, is expected to take over immediately replacing Bob Wright, who expanded the division in television, movies and theme parks over the past two decades.

Wright, 63, will remain vice chairman of GE and assist with the transition at NBC Universal. GE along with Paris-based Vivendi SA, co owns NBC Universal with the latter having a 20 percent stake in the studios.

As head of NBC Entertainment, Zucker took over a network that had fallen well behind competitors ABC, CBS and Fox, after leading ratings with comedies such as ``Cheers,'' ``Frasier'' ``Seinfeld,'' and ``Friends,'' and began NBC's foray into unscripted reality shows such as ``Fear Factor'' and ``The Apprentice.''
Back to News Review index page