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.
Pray for W, New Orleans and Our Freedom Fighters
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.
Translation: I'm getting out of here before I get fired.
No way that tool Matthews will ever get fired.
If I ever saw that guy in person, I think I'd kick him in the nuts. What a tool.
I've seen this guy on Imus from time to time. He strikes me as a woman in a mans body.
Chris Matthews? Firing squad? That would make me very happy, indeed!
I hear that Al Franken is looking for a job.
He wants to run for the Mn. senate seat in 08.
Zero is an even number.
Gregory reminds me of a woman in a French, cheese-eating, surrender monkey's body. :-D
David gregory is gayer than a bag of balloons. Guy is a militant gay-rights Bush-Basher. What a cheesepuff.
Again..just a rumor..Would send a tremendous message but again ..nothing solid.
Awww, that would suck...Chris is one of the funniest lefties on TV I like to watch and mock. Give Em Hell Zell's "Duel" comment during the RNC in NYC truly endeared me to ol Chris.
Mark Levin calls it MSLSD
I don't know the guy, but I wish he'd take Katie and the other liberal lunatics with him.
I don't recognize her face, but who's looking at her face?
She does Good Day LA (Los Angeles) on Fox early am, then the syndicated Good Day America later in the am.
Why would a guy leave such a high paying, high profile job that requires so little work? All he has to do is collect the press releases from the DNC and other anti-American, anti-Bush ultra-left wing pressure groups and decide what order to broadcast them. Easy-peasy!!
I'm no expert on the internal power struggles at Today, but I assume you're 100% right. Not sure how this will affect the show, but to the extent it makes it even more outrageously liberal and partisan, I would welcome it - that much more fun to cover and lampoon!
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