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General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC is really feeling the heat of the recession. NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker thinks that reducing the number of primetime hours on the network should be considered a viable option for controlling costs and for adjusting to the current media landscape that seems to favor cable networks over traditional broadcasting entities like Disney's (NYSE: DIS) ABC and CBS (NYSE: CBS). He also speculates that reducing the actual number of days that the network programs may be necessary at some point.

I find all this very amusing. I think what Zucker is essentially saying is that NBC needs to think more like a cable network. I would agree, and have argued for this before. Let's face it, the broadcast networks are dinosaurs in many ways. They just can't compete in a world where cable channels are popular and are constantly repeating cheaply produced shows to keep costs at a sane level. Take Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) MTV as an example. How many times have there been marathons of The Real World? Likewise, if you come in late on an episode of Celebrity Rehab, you know you'll have other opportunities to catch the whole thing at another time. Not only is that time-shifting model convenient, it saves money, too.

This is how NBC should think. Sure, it'd be a culture shock, but what if hits like Heroes and 30 Rock were repeated a few times in a single week? That presents a problem, of course. The talent and production companies behind those shows would demand extra compensation. Well, that's where Zucker should come in. He needs to go to the Hollywood community and tell them that things just aren't working out these days for the network. Zucker has to be staunch and let everyone know what a bind NBC is in and that, for everyone's sake, license fees should better reflect the current reality. The networks have experimented with repeating shows during the week, but not to the extent I'd like to see. I mean, really, does Saturday Night Live only have to be seen on Saturday Night?

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Is NBC panicking? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When you've got a good thing, stick with it. Last year's breakout hit for General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Network was unarguably Heroes, the sci-fi/drama/comedy hybrid that quickly developed a cult following, made household names of Masi Oka and Hayden Panettiere, and turned the cheesy and clunky "Save the cheerleader, save the world" into the year's most memorable catchphrase. Last night, the program kicked off its second season and earned 10% more viewers than its first-season premiere, according to The Futon Critic.

With their flagship show already deemed a solid hit after just 23 episodes, the masterminds behind Heroes are hard at work on a different kind of spin-off. The new series - called Origins - is set to air in the U.S. next spring and will feature new characters not yet referenced in the original program. Taking an American Idol approach to the program, fans of Heroes will be voting on one character from the spin-off to defect to the parent program for Heroes season 3.

On board to pen an episode of Origins is Eli Roth, the writer/director behind the disturbing and grisly Hostel series, which helped launch the new theatrical genre of "torture porn." Michael Dougherty, co-writer of last summer's Superman Returns, will also be writing an episode. Kevin Smith - creator of Clerks, Dogma, and other feature films - was already announced as an Origins scribe.

NBC has ordered six episodes of the new project. They are expected to air while Heroes is on hiatus.

Beth Gaston Moon is an analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research.

Film director Eli Roth on board for 'Heroes' spin-off, 'Origins' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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