Even a takeover can't save NBC
Posted Nov 5th 2009 9:07PM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Industry, Reality-Free

There are very few sure fire signs that a network is completely worthless and this is one of them.
Comcast has been looking to buy the financially troubled NBC from General Electric, but Wall Street insiders say the deal won't be good for Comcast's stock.
Even confirmed reports of a takeover bid can't save the network in the eyes of the almighty stockholder. What would make NBC more profitable in Wall Street's eyes?
Tags: comcast, GE, general electric, General Electric GE, GeneralElectric, GeneralElectricGe, nbc, nbc universal, nbc.com, NbcUniversal, takeover, takeover stocks, TakeoverBid, takeovers, TakeoverStocks, variety, Variety.com, wall street, WallStreet
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-06-2009 @ 1:49AM
HD said...
I'm a GE shareholder and I HATE, HATE the Comcast deal. Yes, GE needs cash and has a ton of debt, but NBC Universal is a great asset. Yes, NBC has fallen from glory, in my mind the second NBC killed off the Thursday night block (that dominated for 20 years) via "The Apprentice" instead of four solid sitcoms. NBC realized the mistake, but has never fully recovered from that.
ABC was down and out, but crawled back in 2004 and NBC can do the same. I wouldn't count NBC out just yet, even though people treat the peacock network like a dinosaur.
I'd rather have "Shineheart Wig Company" buy NBC than Comcast. If the sale happens it will be just another example of how Immelt has damaged GE and destroyed shareholder value.
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11-06-2009 @ 9:29AM
Michael said...
First off, let me state for the record that I HATE Jeffery Immelt for selling out his company to the current administration. That trickle down effect has ruined every aspect of GE to me and many thousands of potential customers and viewers. I am both an avid television viewer and I certainly buy my share of products out in the marketplace and after Immelt steered his networks into such shameless promotion of the current administration both during and after the election I swore NEVER to purchase another GE product ever again if I could help it. Now that BSG is done, I watch exactly two NBC shows - Chuck and 30 Rock. I would love to say that is 100% because of my boycott but frankly, they've canceled everything else I used to watch that was any good so I can't take full credit for that one. I will say this, I just purchased new appliances for my home including a new washer/dryer and 29 cu. ft. refrigerator and I looked at EVERY other brand except GE.
OK, how does that apply to this post? I will welcome pretty much ANY other company purchasing NBC from GE because I don't feel they've got anywhere to go but up from here. I represent more of their potential viewing audience than I think they realize - and I HATE them... NBC/Universal needs to do something drastic if they want to capture this audience share. History has already shown that they SUCK at providing shows this audience wants to watch for the 168 hours a week they are on. They don't need to aggravate that further by their blatant political associations. Just go away...
NBC is NOT "too big to fail..."
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11-06-2009 @ 10:51AM
charles melrose III said...
Comcast will purchase the deal not because it wants NBC--it likely will sell it off soon after acquiring it--but for the associated cable properties like Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC etc that fit with Comcast's cable business. Stock market may not like anticipated short term results of deal, but the market has little vision or patience for a deal, like this one, that's focused on long term synergies and profitability.
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11-06-2009 @ 2:38PM
Zachary Pruckowski said...
IMHO, NBC's problem is that they are too decisive. If a show starts out well, they'll bank off that for 3-4 years of falling ratings, but if it starts out poor to middling, they won't give it a chance. Shows like Chuck and FNL and Life would get better audiences if NBC went out of their way to promote them and build them up, and NBC has cancelled several other shows before giving them a real chance. They seem to be sort of fatalistic - "oh, you're not doing well? Nothing we can do about that."
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11-06-2009 @ 7:55PM
izikavazo said...
I see what you mean, but I think that I prefer NBC's policies rather than the other networks. Check, FNL and Life wouldn't have survived more than half a season on other networks. Neither would 30 Rock or The Office. Scrubs and Medium and even Southland would have been canceled long ago, and they never would have had a chance to get picked up anywhere else. When they cancel shows quickly it's usually to do with budgets versus viewers, that's what happened to Bionic Woman and My Own Worst Enemy were canceled.
11-06-2009 @ 7:55PM
izikavazo said...
That's it? That's all you wanted to say? These comments are way longer than the "article".
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