Pulse2 Technology and Social Media News » Jeff Zucker

Steve Burke Replacing Jeff Zucker To Run NBC

Amit Chowdhry — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 01:31:44 +0000

Steve Burke [pictured left] is replacing Jeff Zucker [pictured right] to work as the CEO of NBC Universal. Steve Burke is the COO of Comcast. The change will be made after federal regulators approve Comcast’s $30 billion acquisition of NBC.

Zucker is exiting as requested by Comcast. “Steve Burke is an experienced, talented and visionary leader with over 25 years in the media and entertainment industry,” stated Comcast CEO Brian Roberts. “Steve is one of the most well-respected executives in the industry, and I am confident that he will lead NBCU forward to a new era of growth.”

NBC is controlled 51% by Comcast and 49% by GE. NBC also runs the networks USA, Bravo, and Universal Studios. Comcast contributes programming from E! Entertainment TV, Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, and 10 regional sports networks.

Steve Burke has an MBA from Harvard and joined Disney in 1986. He founded the Disney Stores and eventually became President of ABC broadcasting. He’s turned down CEO job offers at DirecTV, Coca-Cola, and Nike.

[TheWrap]

DONE! Ventures Suing NBC Over Domain Name Sale

Amit Chowdhry — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 15:05:05 +0000

NBC Universal is being hit with a lawsuit because of a domain name sale that went wrong. DONE! Ventures CEO Ben Padnos claims that NBC accepted an offer to sell Women.com and Women.net for $1 million. However NBC President and CEO Jeff Zucker blocked the transaction even after an agreement was reached.

DONE! Ventures is a Manhattan Beach, California based Internet marketing firm that filed the complaint at the Los Angeles Superior Court on June 3. DONE! is claiming breach of contract. NBC signed an agreement with Sedo.com to sell each domain name for $600,000. DONE! made an offer for $1 million and NBC Universal accepted it. [TechCrunch]

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy May Take Tim Armstrong’s Former Position At Google

Amit Chowdhry — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:49:19 +0000

As many of you know by now, former Google VP Tim Armstrong left the company to join AOL as the CEO and Chairman. This leaves an empty slot at Google where big shoes have to be filled. Google had already stated that they were planning on finding a replacement internally, someone who already knows the business inside and out. Well now we have a potential name: Sukhinder Singh Cassidy.

Cassidy is Google’s President of Asia-Pacific and Latin American Operations. She works closely with SVP of Global Sales and Business Development Omid Kordestani. Armstrong built strong ties with several media bigwigs including Jeff Zucker, President and CEO of NBC Universal. Cassidy will have to maintain those relations.

Cassidy is formerly a product manager at a database company called Junglee. Cassidy was also an investment banker for some time at BSkyB. Cassidy started a company back in 1999 called Yodlee.com and worked there up until 2003.

It sounds like Cassidy has quite a bit of entrepreneurial experience, but Armstrong worked very closely with “big media.” Although I do not know much about Cassidy, I can definetely say that it will be a major challenge.

[via WSJ]