NBC Shakeup. Kevin Reilly replaced?

So what do you think about this? Will it be positive or negative for NBC?

It still won't matter because they will be under the thumb of Jeff Zucker.

It's just crazy that NBC is finishing behind FOX in the ratings. What's next, CW overtakes NBC too?!

I like Kevin Reilly and he's brought some great shows to NBC: 30 Rock, FNL, The Office, My Name Is Earl and Heroes.

And he fought for those shows to stay on air even though they had low ratings. I respect him a lot.

Didn't he just sign a multi year contract in March?

I hope this is true? Reilly has run NBC into the ground during the last 3 years. Does he really expect success with the new fall lineup?

Reilly out at NBC

Silverman takes on major role at network

By JOSEF ADALIAN

Kevin Reilly is a few negotiating points away from leaving NBC, while Ben Silverman is equally close to inking a deal that would make him a major player in the Peacock pride.

While nothing’s expected to be official before Monday at the earliest, several people with knowledge of the situation confirmed what’s been expected since Friday: Reilly is leaving his gig as prexy of entertainment. Reilly’s exit agreement isn’t final yet, however, preventing any official confirmation of his departure.

Reilly will get a generous financial payout from NBC, having just inked a new longterm deal with the network in March. Payout is expected to be several million dollars.

There's already buzz about what Reilly's next gig could be, with much speculation centering around HBO as a future home. A person familiar with the situation, however, said such a move-- if it even happens-- wouldn't take place immediately. Pay cabler is still grappling with the sudden departure of topper Chris Albrecht.

Likewise, it’s believed NBC Universal supremo Jeff Zucker hasn’t yet closed a deal to secure Silverman’s services. Betting around town, however, is that such a pact will get done within the next 48 hours.

Still up in the air is the fate of NBC development chief Katherine Pope. Long considered an heir apparent to Reilly, she had been on track to take charge of a combined network-studio development team. Now, there’s a very real chance she could end up leaving NBC U, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Much will depend on the final shape of Silverman's new job at NBC, and how Silverman decides to structure his development team. Silverman isn't known as a micromanager, so it's possible he'll want to keep some stability in the NBC development ranks. Pope, after all, is widely credited with being the key exec responsible for helping TIm Kring launch his hit "Heroes.

But Silverman might also want to bring over some of his own exec team (although in the short term, they may have their hands full running Reveille's existing skeins).

As previously reported, Silverman will not be replacing Reilly. Instead, the producer behind NBC shows such as “The Office” and “The Biggest Loser” is expected to take on a role giving him oversight of the bigger picture at the network. He’ll also play a key role in attracting talent to the network.

One open question is whether Reilly’s post as head of entertainment will be immediately filled, and if so, by whom. That decision will likely fall to Silverman.

Many of Silverman’s new responsibilities had been handled by NBC U west coast topper Marc Graboff. While his position within the company is considered safe, his duties could be changing. Graboff already has a portfolio much broader than the network, with oversight of NBC U’s syndie business and its cable business affairs.

GOOD! So long, bitch!!

If I had to choose between either Reilly or Zucker...i would have taken Reilly in a heartbeat.

At least he sorta showed that he gave a little bit of a sh*t about NBC Daytime..unlike Zucker!

But overall, Reilly has done a sh*tty job at NBC so this is a good move for them!

I can see why people say Reilly's done a bad job at NBC - they're just looking at ratings.

I think Reilly's done a fantastic job when it comes to putting out great shows.

Stealing quotes from posters at Pifeedback:

- "What he didn't give NBC in ratings, he gave them in class."

- "Back in the day, NBC recovered under Tartikoff and Tonker. It recovered with quality programming which got a chance to find its audience."

I feel the same way.

Ben Silverman's an EP of The Office, so I hope he likes 30 Rock and MNIE too. All 3 are smart, non laugh track shows, single camera shows.

I pray to god he likes Friday Night Lights too.

I a little more at DHD: http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/nbc-...-graboff-upped/

Ben Silverman's only 36!!

From Mediaweek: http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_di...t_id=1003591026

Analysis: Is Reilly a Scapegoat for NBC's Failures?

John Consoli

MAY 28, 2007 -

NBC is expected to officially confirm on Tuesday rumors that have been brewing since Friday that Kevin Reilly, the network's entertainment president since 2004, is being fired and replaced by producer Ben Silverman, a 36-year-old former William Morris Agency exec who in 2002 founded Reveille studio and is currently its CEO.

Not only will Silverman replace Reilly, who had just signed a new three-year contract in March, and who will be given a financial package to leave, but Silverman will also be given more responsibility and a heftier title than Reilly had. And, as part of the restructuring, Mark Graboff, NBCU West Coast president, who also oversees all business, financial, operational and administrative matters, for NBC and all of its sister entities, is also expected work more closely with Silverman.

NBC is mirred in fourth place in the ratings among the broadcast networks, a position it had held for the past two seasons, but the questions that need asking are: Is Kevin Reilly the reason for NBC's fall from first place? Was Reilly, during his tenure, given the authority and autonomy to develop the depth and breadth of programming he felt could turn the network around, or was he stifled by other executives above him within the company who insisted on input and final say? And, if the system doesn't change within, can anyone be brought in that will be able to turn things around? And finally, if Silverman is given more authority and automony going forward, why wasn't that given to Reilly sooner, or to Reilly now, before letting him go?

So with all the fanfare and promise expected with NBC's announcement, these questions will continue to fester.

In Reilly's defense, he did bring some solid shows to the network--My Name is Earl, The Office, Deal or No Deal and Heroes. In fact, insiders at 20th Century Fox Television say while virtually every top NBC executive was opposed to putting Earl on the schedule three years ago, it was Reilly who stuck to his guns and put the show on the air. And the show did take off in its first season. Ironically, The Office is a show produced by Silverman's Reveille studio, but Reilly also had to battle to get it on the schedule against top level opposition. While The Office has not been a ratings mega-hit, it has brought critical acclaim to the network and fills a solid hole in its Thursday night comedy block.

When he oversaw entertainment development at FX cable network, Reilly developed a reputation for bringing out of the box hit dramas, like The Shield and Nip/Tuck. But it never seemed like he was given a chance to bring similar type programming to NBC.

And according to sources familiar with the NBC development process, Reilly was told he could do only half the number of pilots of the other Big Four broadcast networks for the 2007-08 season. While Reilly tried to put on a positive face during the upfront by saying that the goal was not to put too many new shows on the schedule that would be lost in the fall premiere shuffle, it was clear that NBC does not have enough new shows on its schedule to seriously give it a shot at turning its viewer declines around.

Sources familiar with the situation said Reillly was being stifled as NBCU tried to save money to help pay for the huge TV rights fee it had incurred by acquiring Sunday Night Football.

Reilly inherited a programming schedule in 2004 that was falling apart before he got there, particularly with Friends going off the air. He had an insurmountable task, and seemingly, was not given autonomy to at least let him do his own thing in order to try to turn things around.

It is a situation that is diametrically opposite of the one that his college fraternity brother and friend Steve McPherson has faced in his role as ABC Entertainment president. McPherson also came into a situation where the ABC schedule was on the downswing. But for whatever reason, maybe because of McPherson's more aggressive personality, or that the Disney Co. brass realized that too many cooks spoil the broth, they gave McPherson the authority and automony that has allowed him to not only oversee program development, but also the marketing department which is charged with promoting that programming to viewers.

NBC has its internal NBC Agency which is charged with marketing the network's programming, and the agency does not report to Reilly. At ABC, the marketing execs report to McPherson.

"Bob Iger trusts and supports me and lets me run the show," McPherson told Mediaweek.

"Everything reports to me, including marketing. I make every call good or bad, and that's the only way you can succeed at these jobs. How can you turn around an entertainment division and not be allowed to sell it. At ABC it's my leadership and my vision. If I succeed or fail, it's all on me. That doesn't seem to be the case at NBC."

Silverman spent six years at William Morris before becoming the founding CEO at Reveille. In addition to The Office and The Biggest Loser, Reveille also produces Ugly Betty, the moderate hit drama on ABC that McPherson put on the air this season.

But some in the industry are wondering whether he has the creative background necessary to develop a broad range of shows from scratch. Both The Office and Ugly Betty were successful shows in other countries--the U.K. and Mexico, respectively--concepts that were just adapted to American audiences.

Time will tell. But one thing seems certain. Whoever becomes head of programming at NBC will need to be given the authority and autonomy to program the network with their own vision. If not, it is going to be more of the same. I'm sure that Brandon Tartikoff did not have a committee telling him how to program NBC in its heyday.

Kevin Reilly seems to have been made the scapegoat here. But that has happened before. Remember how Fox axed Doug Herzog after just one season?

Welcome to the world of television.

From Variety: http://www.variety.com/article/VR111796587...yid=14&cs=1

Reilly out at NBC

Silverman is Zucker's new golden boy

By JOSEF ADALIAN

Memorial Day weekend felt more like the Fourth of July at NBC as Jeff Zucker put the finishing touches on an explosive rewiring of the Peacock's Burbank exec structure.

Zucker has recruited Ben Silverman for a key gig at the Peacock's West Coast operations, sending a clear message that he's serious about blowing up the old network business model.

Instead of turning to someone who came up through the usual ranks as a development exec or business affairs wonk, Zucker is counting on the flashy, energetic Reveille topper (and former agent) to help reinvent NBC Entertainment and push the network out of the ratings cellar.

The clumsy way in which Silverman's still-pending deal has been handled -- many would say mishandled -- certainly starts things off on a rocky note, however. The move has already alienated two of Zucker's top lieutenants -- NBC Entertainment prexy Kevin Reilly, who will ankle, and NBC development chief Katherine Pope, whose future with the conglom is murky.

The Peacock could announce Reilly's departure -- and Silverman's arrival -- as soon as today. Complicating matters: A deal to bring Silverman to the net would apparently involve NBC U buying Reveille, or at least compensating Silverman in such a way as to make leaving the company attractive.

Many of Silverman's new responsibilities had been handled by NBC U West Coast topper Marc Graboff. While his position within the company is considered safe, his duties could be changing. Graboff already has a portfolio much broader than the network, with oversight of NBC Universal's syndie biz and its cable business affairs.

At 36, Silverman is in some ways a younger version of Zucker -- a New Yorker with a famously short attention span whose relationship with Hollywood has been untraditional.

Giving so much power to Silverman is an unexpected and potentially risky move, with many in Hollywood already fretting that it could backfire. Some argue that NBC needs to focus on finding new hits, not talking up new paradigms.

Word of Zucker's flirtation with Silverman began leaking out Thursday afternoon and reached a fever pitch Friday morning, when an anonymous email tipster began spreading the word to outlets such as Daily Variety.

One person who received an email was Reilly, who at the time hadn't been officially told that Zucker and Silverman were talking. While technically Zucker wasn't talking to Silverman about replacing Reilly, the fact that Zucker was looking to bring in yet another exec above him seemed to be the final straw for Reilly.

Reilly has lived with rumors about his fate from almost the moment he got to the network. Nevertheless, the former FX boss has had as good a development track record as most of his rivals, launching a mix of hits ("Heroes," "My Name Is Earl," "The Office" and "Deal or No Deal") and promising critically acclaimed newcomers ("30 Rock," "Friday Night Lights") during his three years as entertainment prexy.

He no doubt thought the deal he inked in March would allow him to finally take control of the net, but the Silverman scenario apparently convinced him it was time to go.

Within 24 hours, Reilly was talking to his boss, Graboff, about leaving NBC. Nobody at the network stood in his way, making his departure a mutually agreed upon exit.

Reilly will get a generous financial payout from NBC since he still has nearly three years left on his deal. Exit package is expected to be several million dollars, though not as rich as that secured by Lloyd Braun after he was fired from ABC shortly after inking a new five-year pact.

One of Reilly's chief rivals -- ABC Entertainment prexy Steve McPherson -- said NBC will be worse off without Reilly.

"Kevin brought class and quality back to NBC (and) he had the balls to back the stuff he believed in," said McPherson, who's been friends with Reilly for years. "He delivered about a hit every year, and I don't know what more you can ask of an entertainment president."

Despite having had success of his own, "I'm envious of Kevin's track record," McPherson added. The ABC exec also hinted that NBC brass never backed Reilly as fully as it should have.

"I don't think Kevin ever got the respect, the recognition or the support he deserved and needed to do that job," McPherson said.

Pariah topper Gavin Polone said he wasn't surprised by Zucker's actions, but that Reilly had done a good job.

"I think Kevin deserves more credit and is caught in a difficult situation, where the corporation is under siege from analysts about the stock price and needs to improve its performance or face louder calls for a divestiture of NBCUniversal," Polone said. "Kevin has put on three hit shows ("My Name is Earl," "The Office" and "Heroes") in the last three years, which is more than anyone else has done."

There's already buzz about what Reilly's next gig could be, with much speculation centering on HBO as a future home. A person familiar with the situation, however, said such a move -- if it happens -- wouldn't take place immediately. Pay cabler is still grappling with the sudden departure of topper Chris Albrecht.

One open question is whether Reilly's post as head of entertainment will be immediately filled and, if so, by whom. That decision will likely fall to Silverman.

Still up in the air is the fate of Pope. Long considered an heir apparent to Reilly, she had been on track to take charge of a combined network-studio development team. Now, there's a very real chance she could end up leaving NBC U, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Pope's future became cloudy Wednesday, when she and Reilly both discovered that Zucker had opted to go against what had been the conventional wisdom inside NBC about the fate of the studio.

It had been understood for months that the Peacock was planning to fold the studio into its network operations, with studio chief Angela Bromstad taking on another role inside NBC U. (Bromstad has been mentioned as a candidate to launch an NBC international production arm, a gig that could have her relocating to London.)

Under this plan, Pope would have been in charge of day-to-day activities developing on the studio side, with Reilly focused on the net. Pope had made it clear that she wanted to get out of her network gig and return to working at the studio.

According to people familiar with the circumstances, Pope was highly disturbed by the change in plans, since she had been under the impression that she would be leaving her network gig and be allowed to focus on what she enjoyed most, namely, developing shows on the studio side.

Pope likely did not know that Zucker was secretly talking to Silverman about coming aboard, a move that still might have allowed Pope to take on more responsibility on the studio side.

Zucker and Pope previously have been close, leading some insiders to suggest the two will patch things up. It's unclear, however, if Zucker still wants to keep Pope aboard.

If he does, Silverman will no doubt also have a say in whether she remains at the company and in what position. Much will depend on the final shape of Silverman's job at NBC and how he decides to structure his development team.

Silverman isn't known as a micromanager, or indeed as a manager at all. So it's possible he'll want to keep some stability in the NBC development ranks. Pope, after all, is widely credited as the key exec responsible for helping Tim Kring launch his hit "Heroes."

But Silverman also may want to bring over some of his own exec team (although in the short term, they may have their hands full running Reveille's existing skeins).

Some would argue that Silverman could use someone with Pope's development chops to help guide him through the development process. But Silverman, rightly or wrongly, may feel he doesn't need such assistance. Silverman -- never shy about talking up the successes of his Reveille shingle -- may argue he's got a pretty good track record of picking winners.

"We have the best pilot-to-series ratio in television history," Silverman told the New York Times in September. "It's spin, I know, but I'm all about pushing Ben right now."

Silverman has indeed put together a number of success stories at Reveille, in comedy ("The Office"), dramedy ("Ugly Betty"), drama ("The Tudors") and reality ("The Biggest Loser," "Nashville Star").

"Forever, the industry has massively underestimated (Silverman's) creative abilities," said Michael Davies, exec producer of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and head of Gotham-based Embassy Row. "Talent -- writers, actors, producers, execs -- like him and trust him. He's just Hollywood enough, just New York enough and just London and Cannes enough at the perfect time in a massively changing TV business."

Before he launched his own company, Silverman carved a name for himself working at William Morris in London, where he was one of the early pioneers of importing overseas formats to the U.S. He brought his global networking skills to the table when he formed Reveille, where he snatched up the rights to "The Office" and "Ugly Betty."

Silverman also has an eye for picking partners and talent. It was his idea to attach Greg Daniels to "The Office," and he hooked up with Salma Hayek on "Betty" (which was first developed as a half-hour at NBC).

Original "Office" creator Ricky Gervais had nothing but praise for Silverman in that same New York Times profile of the producer that ran last fall.

"I'd never heard of Ben Silverman before he tracked me down. His energy and knowledge about 'The Office' impressed me," Gervais told the Times. Silverman also has been at the forefront of a trend of major importance to Zucker: product integration. "The Office," in particular, has found a way to make ads for Chili's and Staples seem unobtrusive. Look for more such advertiser-friendly deals under Silverman's watch.

Some of Silverman's confidantes are said to have advised him against taking an NBC gig, noting that running a company offers more creative freedom -- and much more money. Some wonder if Silverman could end up like Michael Ovitz at Disney: a superstar in the outside world who ends up feeling confined by the shackles of a major corporation. Others note that Silverman doesn't have any experience running a company as big as NBC's West Coast operations.

"I don't know if he understands what he's getting himself into," said one observer, noting NBC parent company GE's strict adherence to "process."

But, like Reilly and Garth Ancier before him, the lure of a programming-centric gig at the Peacock may be too much for Silverman to resist. One of Silverman's earliest mentors (and bosses) was the late Brandon Tartikoff, and the chance to follow in Tartikoff's footsteps seems to have an almost narcotic-like appeal for Hollywood execs.

"Ben's a dreamer, a showman," said one person familiar with Silverman's rep. "He's the kind of person you want in these jobs."

Some observers, however, point out that today's NBC is very different from the one managed by Tartikoff. "That NBC doesn't exist anymore," one industry exec said.

Bravo, McPherson!!

One of Reilly's chief rivals -- ABC Entertainment prexy Steve McPherson -- said NBC will be worse off without Reilly.

"Kevin brought class and quality back to NBC (and) he had the balls to back the stuff he believed in," said McPherson, who's been friends with Reilly for years. "He delivered about a hit every year, and I don't know what more you can ask of an entertainment president."

Despite having had success of his own, "I'm envious of Kevin's track record," McPherson added. The ABC exec also hinted that NBC brass never backed Reilly as fully as it should have.

"I don't think Kevin ever got the respect, the recognition or the support he deserved and needed to do that job," McPherson said.

Was he the one who gave Days of our Lives it's date with death? If so, good riddance.

Was he the one who gave Days of our Lives it's date with death? If so, good riddance.

No, it was Jeff "Sucks" Zucker aka Mr. Today Show aka the guy who gets promoted for being unsuccessful.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/ne...presstour_x.htm

Daytime soap Passions has been canceled after an eight-year run to make room for a fourth hour of Today, which will air on all network affiliates, though only about half will initially air all of Today in a continuous block, says NBC Universal Television president Jeff Zucker. The worsening economics of daytime soaps led NBC to choose expanding Today. Passions will likely finish its run in August, but NBC is discussing continuing the soap on a cable network (such as SoapNet) or online. Zucker suggested that NBC's only other soap, Days of Our Lives, is unlikely to continue past 2009.

I'm glad NBC is making some changes. Hopefully, it will result in more quality programming. NBC went from being the #1 network in 2004 to the #4 network the last two years. It's hurting.

I'm glad NBC is making some changes. Hopefully, it will result in more quality programming. NBC went from being the #1 network in 2004 to the #4 network the last two years. It's hurting.

That's what happens when Zucker didn't develop anything good when he knew Friends and Frasier was going off the air. It wasn't Kevin Reilly's fault he came into a bad situation. Reilly was slowly turning the network around in terms of adding quality shows. Reilly also help develop The Shield and Nip/Tuck when he was at F/X.

In Reilly's first year, he fought keep The Office on the air.

In Reilly's second year, he fought to get My Name Is Earl on the air and Deal or No Deal.

In Reilly's third year, he put Heroes on the air.

Like Stephen McPherson said, you can only ask to have one hit show a year.

Reilly was a scapegoat. It's a shame.

What scares be about Ben Silverman is that he is/has been involved with a lot of reality shows. Hopefully he'll bring more shows like The Office and Ugly Betty (He's an EP on both shows) and less reality shows.

And I think MNIE and DOND are awful. So, he was 2 for 2 with me.