Posted on 09/06/2005 2:09:09 PM PDT by LdSentinal
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - NBC News President Neal Shapiro resigned on Tuesday, ending months of speculation about his future at the network that is facing heightened competition at its flagship morning program, "Today." An NBC spokeswoman confirmed Shapiro's resignation, which the 12-year network veteran announced in a memo to news staff. He has held the top NBC News job since 2001.
Shapiro said he had been considering a change since the network began its annual planning and that he missed the creativity he enjoyed in previous jobs as a producer.
"I've concluded that it's time to move on to a new challenge," Shapiro wrote in a copy of the memo obtained by Reuters.
As NBC News president, Shapiro also was responsible for the news gathering of cable TV network MSNBC.
Shapiro joined NBC in 1993 as executive producer on its widely-watched "Dateline NBC" news magazine. He came aboard after the show lost credibility by faking crash test results in a story on trucks made by General Motors Corp.
Under Shapiro, "Dateline" turned around and increasingly gained viewers. It expanded to multiple nights weekly and earned solid ratings and advertising revenue for the network run by the NBC Universal division of General Electric Co..
COVERAGE OF SEPT. 11
Shapiro's success won him the job of NBC News President in 2001, months ahead of the September 11 attacks. He oversaw the network's coverage of that event, the war in Iraq and the smooth transition to current nightly news anchor Brian Williams from veteran Tom Brokaw, who retired last fall.
"It's important to me that my departure not be used in anyway to diminish the accomplishments of this news division," Shapiro wrote.
In recent months Shapiro had come under pressure to boost viewers at "Today," whose audience size has shrunk while ABC rival "Good Morning America" grew.
This past spring, he and his boss, NBC Universal Television Group President Jeff Zucker, replaced executive producer Tom Touchet with Phil Griffin to shake up the show.
In its 1990s heyday, "Today" was run by Zucker. Back in May, the weekly viewership gap between No. 1 rated "Today" and No. 2 "Good Morning America" closed to a narrow 40,000 viewers. But by July it had widened again to more than 500,000 viewers.
In a separate memo, Zucker said Shapiro had approached him "several months ago," about moving on.
Zucker said NBC executive Steve Capus will serve as acting president of NBC News until a replacement can be named. No timetable was given for naming a new president.
Neither Zucker nor Shapiro were available for comment.
NBC hates the JOOOOOS
Thats just grapevine stuff....
Would it be true that Chris Matthews is next? That would be music to my ears. He hasn't recovered from the 2004 elections.
ZERO?
The ratings of Fox during the last week will be staggering. If anyone finds them, please post them forthwith. Thanks in advance.
Zucker is very happy now... The NBC world is his and his alone... WOW and he orchestrated it in five years...
" Chris Mathews is reported to be next for the firing squad at NBC. Rumour is propaganda isnt selling like the old days."
Third place out of three for how many years and PMSNBC Matthews is still there! He is a Bush hater however and that trumps ratings. PMSNBC Matthews can always be campaign manager for Cindy Sheehan when she runs for Congress as he suggested.
Yeah, seems to me the only thing not missing from NBC news was the creativity.
Like I said pure grapevine gossip. Usually only about 65% accurate. I hear propaganda may get a part of the ax this week. Setting the tone for the next propagandist who takes the job.
Bu-Bye
Newsmax had some ratings for Monday night of the hurricane. CNN gained on FOX. They had something like 2 million views as compared to Fox's 2.3 million. CNN usually has about 500,000. SO CNN had the momentum. I hear from Freepers they had great coverage until about Tuesday night went they went into their Bush's fault, Iraq war, racism charges. All downhill from Monday.
It will be interesting to see if they kept up their ratings surge or once again chose politics over good coverage and people deserted them for FOX.
He he he.
I'm sure he told him "several months ago," that he wanted to spend more time with his family or pursue other carrer options.</sarcasm>
NBC Loosing credibility and ratings? Golly! You could knock me over with a feather.
Katie Couric
Ann Curry
Chris Matthews
Joe Scarborough
Ron Reagan (why does he even get to be on TV?)
Tim Russart and Matt Laurer need to be put on a 90 probation. If either of them quote the NYT, or have Biden, Hagel, Hillary or McCain on the show in that 90 period, they get canned on the spot.
"And Damnit, people like him!"
SERIOUSLY??? Nothing could make me happier- I have grown to detest him.
Shapiro leaving. God knows how I wish he'd take ALL the rest of the narrow-minded biased "journalists" with him...
Just wondering if Kanye West even has a high school diploma?
" Ron Reagan (why does he even get to be on TV?) "
So, they can show the world, look it's Ronald Reagan's son and he even hates Bush.
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