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.
Na na na na, hey hey-hey, goodbye Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye
Please say it's so and not a rumor... add Keith Olberman to the mix and I'm a happy girl... though right now Scarborough is on my list after his performance last week.
Why watch a program that does everything possible to trash the President??
Isn't Scarborough's ratings higher than Chrissy and Olderman.
"move on"...Translation..I been told to clean out my desk.
I'd like to see them, too. Normally Drudge puts them up and I haven't seen any for a week.
In all fairness CNN owned the story up until they (Wolf Blitzer/Jack Cafferty) started to trash the President...now they are in full liberal swing and I won't even touch the dial to check it out... my husband said Christian Amanpour is in the States reporting on it now -- negative, of course...
How about that Dick Gregory and Cambell Frown? Those two agi-props need to go flip some burgers.
All of which means they need to get rid of Rick Kaplan!
Add that flaming swisher jerk-off White House correspondent. (His name escapes me; he subs for Chris Matthews)
ping!
Start by getting rid of Kommie Katie.
" Add that flaming swisher jerk-off White House correspondent. (His name escapes me; he subs for Chris Matthews)"
David "I speak French" Gregory
None other than David Gregory.
The TVMSM is starting to learn that a huge majority really don't like being talked down to by a bunch of prima donna, elitists that wouldn't know a real American's life if they had to live it. They know New York, that's it! Get them out of their element and they look like a deer in your headlights. Totally clueless!
God forbid he's have to take a job at KYOW in Des Moines or some where.
Make that a double! Does this mean what I think it means, that Shapiro came out on the short end of a power struggle with Katie? If so, God help us all!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.