• by Wayne Friedman , December 8, 2008

TV companies' cutbacks may not just mean fewer employees and lower overall budgets -- they may mean fewer prime-time hours, too.

Jeff Zucker, president/CEO of NBC Universal, speaking at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference, said it was a possibility that NBC might consider trimming prime-time hours--or even a whole night of programming.

"Can we continue to broadcast 22 hours in prime time? Three of our competitors don't," he said during Monday's keynote. "Can we continue to broadcast seven days a week? One of our competitors doesn't."

For years, networks have considered this option--especially on Saturday night, which has the lowest television usage. Networks typically rerun programming, or schedule less expensive programming. TV executives have also toyed with the idea of a cutback on Friday night, the second-lowest TV usage night of the week.

Zucker said no plans were on board right now, but that could change--considering the prospects of a sustained and painful recession, which will hit all U.S. businesses and especially consumer product businesses, which use TV to market their commercial messages.

Right now, NBC, CBS and ABC program seven days a week in prime time for at least three hours a night and four on Sunday. Fox programs two hours a night, seven days a week. The CW does six nights of two hours each and a couple more on Sunday. MyNetworkTV does five nights of two hours each.

The CW tried to lease out its Sunday-night schedule earlier this season to Media Rights Capital. But that move quickly flopped, and the network recently resumed programming the night.

Cutbacks could mean leasing out the time--what the CW did (and still does with its kids' Saturday night time block)--or giving the time back to their respective affiliates.

Zucker also pointed out that the company's digital revenues have slowed substantially; it will not be the bright spot in an overall expected weak-performing advertising marketplace in 2009.

But Zucker says there is a silver lining: NBC has transformed itself away from volatile advertising revenues--which now account for 50% of its total revenues, versus 90% just a few years ago. He also pointed out, as he has said previously, that cable networks account for more than 50% of all NBC Universal's operating profits. The high-profile-- and still poorly rated--NBC Television Network is a much smaller piece of the operating profit pie.