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NBC'S ZUCKER: INTERNET PROFITS 5 YEARS AWAY
Thursday, February 28 2008
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NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker said Wednesday that his company's revenue from the Internet and new media represented "digital pennies" and that NBC was still experimenting with ways to alter the economics of online distribution. Speaking to Harvard Business School on Wednesday, he suggested that it may be five years before a "fully formed" revenue model is created. Zucker expressed frustration over his dealings with Apple, which refused to go along with his demands to offer "flexible" pricing for downloads at its iTunes Store. The disagreement led to a parting-of-the-ways, and Zucker conceded that NBC's new partnerships have not been as successful as the earlier one with Apple in attracting customers. Nevertheless, he maintained that Hulu, NBC's joint venture with Fox, had become an "overwhelming" success with advertisers and was performing "far greater than we expected." On other subjects, he expressed hope that Jay Leno "will stay with us" after he is replaced by Conan O'Brien on The Tonight Show next year. He said that he expects to have "conversations" with Leno about a new show. "There's still a lot of time," he said. Zucker also took note of the fact that MSNBC drew its largest audience in history -- 7.8 million viewers -- for Tuesday's Ohio debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. "I think they have found their identity," Zucker said. "I think politics really is their calling card."
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