Report: Jeff Zucker to be named new NBCU CEO

Steve Safran February 4th, 2007

The L.A. Times is reporting that Jeff Zucker will be named this week become the new NBC Universal Chief Executive. Zucker, 41, has been steadily climbing the rungs at NBC since joining the net as a news field producer in 1989. Currently the CEO of the NBCU Television Group, Zucker would replace Bob Wright at the top of the network. Wright has held the job for more than 20 years. There’s every reason to believe the change is part of NBCU’s massive digital overhaul. From the LA Times:

The move comes as Jeffrey Immelt, chairman of General Electric Co., the owner of NBC Universal, looks to shake up its entertainment unit and compete more aggressively against digital powers such as Google and popular youth websites such as MySpace… (Wright) had wanted to stay on as chief executive at least until the end of the year, three people close to him said. But Immelt, 50, insisted that the transition occur now. He was determined to put his own team in place at NBC Universal…