• by Wayne Friedman , December 16, 2005

NBC missed out on the DreamWorks sweepstakes, and still holds down last place in network prime time. Yet now, NBC will give its executives even more responsibility--all for future growth.

Jeff Zucker will get a bigger job at NBC Universal Television Group, rising to CEO from president. Randy Falco, formerly president of NBC Universal Television Group, has been named president-COO of NBC Universal Television Group. GE and former NBC executive Beth Comstock has been named to the newly created position of president of NBC Universal Digital Media and Market Development.

"These jobs are big jobs," says Hal Vogel, CEO, Vogel Capital Management. At NBC, as with other media companies, this job encompasses many areas--prime time, daytime, tie-ins with movie companies."

NBC didn't get to buy DreamWorks earlier this week; instead, the studio has an agreement to be purchased by Viacom's Paramount for $1.6 billion. But Vogel says it won't be known for some time whether this turns out to be a good deal.

"We won't know if the GE number crunchers are right," he says. "Possibly in about five years from now."

With regard to Zucker, Vogel says: "He looks like a capable man." Zucker will continue to report to Bob Wright, vice chairman of GE and chairman-CEO of NBC Universal.

In Zucker's new capacity, he will not only continue to oversee the entire television group--which includes the NBC network, other entertainment cable channels, the television studio, and network news division, MSNBC and CNBC--but now, NBC Sports and Olympics.

Falco's duties will also be expanded. Adding to his Telemundo network, business development, network operations, advertising sales, and cable distribution duties, he will also get NBC U's owned and operated television stations, worldwide television distribution, and international channels. Falco, who had reported directly to Wright, will now report to Zucker.

The former chief marketing officer of parent GE, Comstock's new responsibilities will be heading up NBC U's digital strategy and content and distribution efforts onto new digital platforms. This move marks Comstock's return to NBC U, where she was formerly senior vice president of NBC Communications.