Jeff Zucker to leave NBC Universal when Comcast deal closes

The meeting was amicable and cordial, but Comcast Corp. executive Stephen Burke got his point across: "Steve made it clear that they wanted me to go at close," said Jeff Zucker of NBC Universal Inc.

So it's official. NBC Universal's top executive, Jeffrey Zucker, and Comcast will part ways when Comcast acquires control of NBCU late this year or early next year. Zucker, 45, a former executive producer of NBC's Today who climbed the corporate ladder to head NBC Universal, told his employees of his decision Friday morning in an e-mail.

In an interview Friday afternoon, Zucker noted: "It would have been stranger for me to stay.. . . They have their own culture and their own values."

Zucker's departure was anticipated for months, although the executive told the New York Times that coming to terms with the decision was "incredibly emotional" and "gut-wrenching."

With Zucker's fate decided, speculation now focuses on whether Burke will run NBCU himself, hire someone, or promote an executive from one of the two organizations to the role. Some believe there is little margin for error with NBC's broadcast-TV network, which trails its competitors in prime-time offerings.

Comcast has said it bought NBCU for USA, CNBC, and other cable networks, and believes it can heal the NBC broadcast-TV network with management attention and additional investment in TV shows.

On Friday, Comcast had no comment on who would lead NBCU or the timing of an announcement. An organizational chart on the NBCU structure likely will be released before the deal closes.

Comcast chief executive Brian L. Roberts and Zucker appeared together earlier this year in Washington to testify before Congress on the proposed merger, but there was no indication publicly or privately of any chemistry between Zucker and Comcast executives.

"Jeff Zucker has devoted his entire professional life to NBC, and he has led the company with integrity and purpose," Roberts said in a statement. "The success of NBC Universal puts us in a wonderful position as we plan for our joint venture with GE. We wish Jeff well in his future endeavors."

In December, Comcast announced it had reached a deal to buy 51 percent of NBCU from General Electric, which agreed to sell the content company to concentrate on its industrial businesses. The deal values NBCU at $30 billion. NBCU will be operated as a joint venture, with Comcast in charge of running the businesses.

The Comcast/NBCU deal is being scrutinized by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the Federal Communications Commission. Experts expect approvals but with conditions that limit Comcast's ability to hurt competitors through its control of the nation's largest cable-TV network and one of the largest entertainment and news providers.

Zucker's announcement caught Comcast somewhat by surprise. Officials in the two companies have met regularly to discuss the joint venture and the integration of the companies. But NBCU still reports directly to General Electric, its corporate parent.

Zucker and Comcast didn't get off to a smooth start. Around the time the Philadelphia company announced it would buy a stake in the entertainment giant, two top NBC comedians - Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien - engaged in a very public spat over who would host NBC's Tonight Show. It was resolved when O'Brien accepted a multimillion-dollar exit package and left the network.

Zucker, described as brilliant and highly competitive, was credited with boosting NBC's profits earlier this decade. But more recently, NBC's entertainment franchise has suffered after the network failed to develop replacements for Seinfeld, Friends, and other hits.

Said Zucker in his e-mail to employees: "I have enjoyed nothing but sheer pleasure in having the names NBC and Universal on my business cards. Sure, there have been ups and downs in the last quarter-century. But when I step back, and think about what we've been through, I feel nothing but pride and joy."