NBCU CEO ZUCKER SAYS “FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS” TO CONTINUE, VOWS TO KEEP THE WALL STREET JOURNAL TO ITS CONTRACT WITH CNBC

At this morning’s Newhouse Communications breakfast, Jeff Zucker said that “Friday Night is quality television and we’re going to stick with it” citing the time it took the current hit show “The Office” to achieve high ratings and the growth of viewing to “30Rock” in its sophomore year.

In response to a question from interviewer Ken Auletta, Zucker also said “I think the New York Post Business Section is fantastic.”

Zucker is enmeshed in a very interesting “frenemy” relationship with Rupert Murdoch and Fox because

• NBC Universal and Fox have just launched an internet site to house key TV programs and other content from both networks and other sources; and
• CNBC has a continuing multiyear contract with the Wall Street Journal, recently acquired by Murdoch, that requires the WSJ’s television reporting to be done exclusively on CNBC. The rub is that Fox has just launched the Fox Business Channel in direct competition with CNBC.

In response to a question about NBCU’s recent acquisitions of the iVillage web business and the Oxygen cable television network, Mr. Zucker described a plan for a multiplatform media entity that would span network broadcast, cable and online venues. This entity will include iVillage, Oxygen, Bravo and The Today Show and will provide advertisers with a one-stop shopping enterprise for targeting women.

Mr. Zucker also said that “We live in a blogosphere world” in which “everyone is a journalist.” Hard to disagree.