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Comcast is clearing the way for its pending announcement of the new NBC Universal top executive structure. Jeff Gaspin, who had felt more and more as the odd man out in Comcast’s plans for the post-merger NBCU, just sent out a note to NBC Universal employees announcing that he will depart the company following its merger with Comcast after he and new NBCU CEO Steve Burke “could not agree on an appropriate role” for him in the new company. Gaspin had 4 years left on his contract, which was breached by the merger and Burke replacing Jeff Zucker. Gaspin was furious when a report last week claimed he was gone because it wasn’t true: in fact the two men hadn’t made that decision yet even though everyone guessed that’d be the ultimate conclusion because it’s known that Burke wants to decrease the media company’s layers of management. Gaspin has spent a combined 19 years at NBCU, most recently as chairman of NBC Universal TV Entertainment. “I want to thank Jeff for his many significant contributions to NBCU and for his professionalism throughout the integration process,” Burke said in a statement. After sending the memo (text below), Gaspin gathered his senior executive team for an emotional meeting.
Even though there has been much speculation in the press I wanted you to hear directly from me.
During the course of the Comcast/GE merger, I’ve had many good conversations with Steve Burke about my role at the new NBC Universal. Under the current structure, all of the television entertainment assets including cable, broadcast, and distribution report to me.
As is his prerogative, Steve has determined that he wants to move in a different direction and given the scope of my current responsibilities, we could not agree on an appropriate role for me in the new company. Therefore I will be departing NBC Universal a short time after the merger.
I have spent a combined 19 years at NBC Universal and have had numerous positions in finance, news, cable, and broadcast. While we have had our challenges on the entertainment broadcast side, I am proud of the progress we have made and the tremendous success of our outstanding cable assets, our strong distribution divisions and our market-leading digital innovation. It’s with great pride and appreciation I was able to participate in many of these successful ventures.
I leave NBC Universal with an obvious sense of sadness and loss, but I’ll be forever grateful for my relationships with my colleagues and those who gave me a chance to participate in the success of this great company. It’s been an exhilarating ride – and I thank you for sharing it with me.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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Gee what a surprise, no one saw that coming…Angela Bromstead, pack your bags, you’re next.
Be nice to Bromstad, don’t think she’s going anyway but if I’m wrong I’ll… I’ll…. watch an NBC series other than SNL, the Office or 30 Rock – how’s that?
Jeff Gaspin, who was going to take NBC to the top with his USA network tastes?! That Jeff Gaspin? Surely not!
Where is that relentless troll from this summer and the upfront posts? LOL. I almost feel like quoting some of his choice comments on Gaspin’s wondrous USA network tastes.
It wasn’t just one person unfortunately. Those people were definitely annoying.
This one is going to sting. Gaspin is a very bright guy who knows how to run a company. His success with the cable assets prove he knows how to tailor network TV for the future since the line between cable and network is getting thinner. Its all about branding a network and Jeff hasn’t been given a long enough reign to see his vision through. I think this is a big mistake and know Jeff will land squarely on his feet.
Uh, the cable assets were already hugely successful when Gaspin was layered in. It’s not like he did anything to make them a success. He just took credit for the work other people did and continued to do.
“Gaspin was furious when a report last week claimed he was gone because it wasn’t true”
Translation: Gaspin was embarrassed that he hadn’t had time to release a trite statement filled with the ol’ standbys about “moving on to a new direction,” “taking some time with his family,” and “we couldn’t agree on a new role.”
Please! I have no idea how much Gaspin was getting paid, but who the hell walks away from a high-paying job like that with no place to go. It was clear that he was going to be axed.
Of course, the statement ends with the tried and true “It’s been a great ride”. This press release was as predictable as the failure of NBC’s new fall shows.
This fellow Gaspin attached himself to Zucker like a remora many years ago and didn’t let go. It brought him wealth and fame. And probably a big fat contract at some other media entity down the line.
“…it’s known that Burke wants to decrease the media company’s layers of management.”
Halle-freakin’-lujah!
Kinda explains their schedule today for midseason. “Let’s put this on air because nothing we picked up for the season is gettng renewed”
Wouldn’t we all love to get a severance package like Jeff Gaspin will receive. Remember, Zucker got a new, huge multi-year contract to watch over the transition from GE to Comcast, and appear to be the next Comcast Chief under Burke.
Truly, when it comes to corporate greed compensation…failure is the best option.
And that is the sad part, the number of mid-level worker bees that will have to be let go to pay for the failures of these “shining-star executives.” Except the pittance that the average worker will in no way compare to the millions paid to Gaspin, Zucker, et al for ruining what was once a great network.
It’s disgusting.
DITTO BETTY. Problem is, I don’t know how you regulate such things – or if we’d even want them to. It seems like there should be rules at publicly traded companies, this type of stuff is really getting out of hand. I just don’t know what that rule would be and more government in our business freaks me out.
Humpty Dumpty…
Oh, wait, that was originally called the Jeff Zucker Story. This is the reboot!
Angela Bromstad is next! The quicker, the better. Anything that has a stench of Jeff Zucker on it needs to be shown the door. She has failed in her attempts to get NBC out of the cellar and now she needs to be shown the door as well. Who in their right minds renews shows that are finishing 4th every night, but only becuse NBC has really nothing in the can for development that looks to be a stand-out hit.
Gaspin is a good man but he just couldn’t get the job done overall.
you know what? you guys are just haters – all. Bromstad is a smart and talented executive. She’s been under crazy management, Give her a chance again.
Angela Bromstad is next! The quicker, the better. Anything that has a stench of Jeff Zucker on it needs to be shown the door. She has failed in her attempts to get NBC out of the cellar and now she needs to be shown the door as well. Who in their right minds renews shows that are finishing 4th every night, but only because NBC has really nothing in the can for development that looks to be a stand-out hit.
Gaspin is a good man but he just couldn’t get the job done overall.
I have known Angela Bromstad for years. She is a bright tasteful executive. She had her hands tied working for a moron like Zucker. She and Bob Greenblatt could make a great team and lead NBC out of the programming toilet. I hope Bob decides to rebuild NBC with her in place.
Absurd. As awful as Zucker is, not ONE show this season is even a single, let alone a double or a triple… Others who’ve worked for Zucker and been tied by his idiocy nevertheless managed to get some notable programs on the air. So this is her responsibility.
And don’t forget at the studio, House and The Office came from Kissinger’s side of the studio, that she fought against certain ‘requirements’ for Heroes that first season that forced the show into a structure and when Reilly left, look what happened to it. And at the HRTS luncheon this year, she sounded like she was on drugs – a remark made by several people who had never met her or seen her speak before! Not saying she was on drugs, but she was clearly out of the element up there, with answers that were so simplistic as to sound like a schoolgirl’s or completely incoherent.
She’s not smart, not effective, and way in over her head. Zucker promoted a director of development to way up… when she was far from ready. Blame that on him, if you will, but if she were a star, she would have made something out of her opportunity. She failed.
bright? bright???? we’ll chalk this up to coming from angela’s assistant &/or close relative. she’s as dull as they come, completely void of personality or creative instinct. the dreck of new crap that’s tanking on the air at nbc right now is all hers. she’s done NO LEADING OUT OF THE TOILET for a couple seasons now. if she stays, the giant exhale of “here we go again” will be heard all over.
Please tell me this “departure” is no surprise. The remaining NBC execs would do well to clear out their offices now. Remember these are the folks responsible for the network residing in its exalted position — the basement.
What will be interesting to watch is the network’s programming with the new team. Wonder if any former execs (with some talent) will return?
In response to Henry above (“Uh, the cable assets were already hugely successful when Gaspin was layered in. It’s not like he did anything to make them a success. He just took credit for the work other people did and continued to do.”)…
You’re wrong. Bravo was irrelevant when Jeff got there — programming Cirque du Soleil, James Lipton, and nothing else you ever heard of. It was after he started that “Queer Eye” arrived (thanks to Frances Berwick) and the ascension of Bravo to major pop culture player ensued.
Moreover, Oxygen was a joke when Jeff got there — still recovering from its f’ed-up Orpah/Leybourne/Pittman launch. Jeff helped bring it an identity and marketing, and eventually shows that could turn a rating.
And USA was successful, but purely owing to its movies and series acquisitions. The current golden age of USA Network originals started under Gaspin.
That’s 3 networks that emerged and grew under his watch. [SciFi was already in pretty good shape and has remained there.) Is it all coincidence? Is it all due to excellent people working beneath him? I don’t think so — Gaspin’s a good manager — but regardless, the networks were much smaller before Gaspin took them over than they are now.
You are right about Queer Eye but that’s it, and by the way it was already in development before he got there but he did support it (great–”I like that” for one show–if that really deserves credit). USA had originals and did just fine before Gaspin got that gig and continued to do so thanks to Bonnie Hammer. Oxygen, still a joke, and nothing to do with Gaspin. His creative instincts are non-existent, and marketing has absolutely nothing to with the guy either. He may be at a certain ‘level’ but with or without him, they’d be doing just the same.
Henry… you really are rewriting history. Gaspin did inherit Queer Eye, which Frances developed, but he greenlit it, something that hadn’t happened in close to a year on that project. Gaspin and Frances also developed Project Runway.
When the merger occurred, Gaspin was elevated but told that Bonnie and Lauren were senior women and they would not be touched (and that he couldn’t touch them).
Every cable network improved significantly during Jeff’s tenure. He took over when Syfy was ranked between 5-10… now both USA and Syfy are frequently top 5. Bravo is significantly more popular, better distributed and yes, profitable, since Jeff turned it around.
He does have strong taste and a good sense of what works. He also empowers those beneath him to make decisions and he supports his people, in general, and has a “no surprises” philosophy of management.
All in all – there are a lot worse people running media companies or parts of media companies today.
Jeff Gaspin will land well – that I am sure. And he deserves to do so.
Jeff delivered, was a responsive executive, backed up his word… It is a new era, makes sense to adjust accordingly. Now let’s get some juice out of the stock.
Two down, one to go. Comcast needs to completely rid itself of that ugly stench from last January. Zucker – gone. Gaspin – gone. Leno – needs to go.
Bromstad – needs to go, for other reasons. She’s just made a lot of bad decisions, but by most accounts is a decent person.
Comcast must clean house. I don’t think anyone realizes how many viewers are avoiding NBC for ethical reasons. Once all the bad guys are gone viewers will come back. The House that Tatikoff Built can shine again.
So with 2 out Zucker and Gaspin, and -as per your opinion- Leno & Bromstad need to go.. that’s make 2+2 you morron… learn to count before you start critisizing people
Nobody could possibly believe that Kabletown could be the ones to restore Tartikoff’s House.
Uck, and please get rid of those idiot development execs under bromstad too. That sneering James Spader lookalike that runs comedy is about as effervescent as a used kotex.
I am not sure how some people abuse this website by posting comments about persons they dont know. I have worked with Jeff Gaspin and he’s a brilliant exective, smart leader and knows what it takes to build a successful TV network.
He just didn’t have enough time to turn NBC around especially with Leno/Conan mess with Conan acting all vain and stupid and Zucker did not help at all…
Wish all the best to Jeff in his next venture.
It was Gaspin’s behavior along with Zucker’s during the Leno/Conan fiasco that convinced Comcast executives that he was not the right man for the job, and the story as reported by Bill Carter in his book bares that out. Face it, he had this fall as a chance to redeem the network and at least move it into third place, and his picks have failed miserably. And if you think “rebooting” The Event, moving Chase to Wednesdays, having an all-reality Sunday lineup and doing three hours of comedies Thursdays will bring up the ratings by midseason, you’ve been hanging around Gaspin and Zucker way too long.
Not sure why you assume that people posting comments here don’t know these people. Many of us do know them well, worked with them, inside the company and out. Gaspin is not brilliant, far from it. He’s a political schmoozer hanging on other people’s threads and that’s it.
“Didn’t have enough time to turn NBC around”? No one expected it be turned around in a year. But how about a tiny little bit of progress? One notable effort that showed vision and a glimmer of success or hope? No… in fact, all they did this season was make the network LESS successful, less profitable… it’s the worst new season in the network’s history. Not a single new show even approaches “mediocre” results, even with an already low bar. Most of them are now at or below a 2.0 in 18-49! They hadn’t a clue what they were doing. He can’t wipe his hands of that. Some of their shows rate worse than the CW in the demo!
His only “success” is lasting as long as he did – and that, again, is mostly a tribute to the idiot above him on whose threads he hung.
Bonnie Hammer will oversee USA, SyFy & E! And Lauren Zalaznick will oversee Bravo, Style & Oxygen. Yup.
I can’t wait until Comcast starts slicing through the vast amount of VPs floating around NBC departments. There are tons of them just taking up space at the Peacock.
True Zucker was Armageddon but if you travel a bit lower down the stream (I can’t remember the saying but something else runs downstream) you will find the impeccably disastrous-yet-smug Jeff Ingold greenlighting bomb after bomb. He’s the connective toilet tissue overseeing development. Please Kabletown, as long as you’re at it flush him and the rest of the consistently incompetent development department. Isn’t there an iphone app or facebook quiz that can do that job? Certainly the bar is set pretty low.