In the wake of NBC Universal's sweeping staff and budget cuts, the
Post's Frank Ahrens interviewed Jeff Zucker, who has headed NBC's prime-time schedule since 2000 and has brought news, sports
and cable under his wing. Describing him as "by turns curt and voluble," Ahrens also said he was forthright about his network's problems (third place in the ratings) and pragmatic about the cost of
the digital future.
While it was widely reported last week that Zucker declared scripted programming "dead," he denies that's what he meant. "I don't think I ever said scripted programming
is dead. That's a complete exaggeration." Instead, what he says he said is that it is clear that the programming costs continue to escalate. One of the ways you get a handle on them is with a balance
of more-expensive and less-expensive shows.
"There comes a point where you cannot fill your schedule with 22 hours (the amount of prime time each week) with very expensive, scripted
programming," Zucker says.
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