Boxee’s inability to carry Hulu programming is a matter of Congress now, thanks to the proposed Comcast-NBCU deal. During this morning’s hearing at the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) CEO Jeff Zucker and Comcast (NSDQ: CMCSA) Chairman and CEO…

Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and cofounder of HDNet, offers running commentary on Blog Maverick and allows us to publish it here when the subject fits. If you want to know why it’s going to take longer than people hope or expect to get out this great recession,…

The sound of ticking as Vivendi SA (EPA: VIV) decides whether or not to sell its 20 percent stake in *NBC Universal* during this year’s window is getting as loud as the clock in the crocodile that haunts Captain Hook. The volume this time around (the French company has the…

Lots of going back and forth since the first report last night about Comcast in talks to buy NBC Universal (NYSE: GE). CNBC’s Dan Faber is now reporting that GE would spin off NBCU into a new company that would be “merged with the content assets of Comcast.” Among the…

While *News Corp*. COO Chase Carey, *NBC Universal* CEO Jeff Zucker and others have been out touting the desire to charge for some content through their Hulu JV, Hulu has been working out the logistics for doing just that. StreamingMedia.com’s report that a subscription beta test is underway internally would…

Jeff Gaspin just took another big leap at NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) with his promotion—effective immediately—as the new chairman of NBCU Television Entertainment. Gaspin already heads the company’s cable networks and its distribution. This adds NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios to his portfolio. The announcement came at the same…

Updated; Barry Diller just solved Jeff Zucker’s Ben Silverman problem. In an unexpected turn of events announced this morning, Silverman will join Diller at IAC (NSDQ: IACI) to start an as-yet-unnamed multi-platform production company; he plans to stay at NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) through the launch of the fall season.…

In the two years since Jeff Zucker became president and CEO of NBC Universal (NYSE: GE), he’s shifted the digital strategy more than once; played an important role in creating the joint venture dubbed “ClownCo” by doubters and transforming it into Hulu; approved putting thousands of Olympic hours on broadband;…

For NBC Universal (NYSE: GE), the analog buck and the digital dime both stop at the desk of Jeff Zucker. From that desk on the 52nd floor of 30 Rock, the NBCU CEO can see a wall full of flat-screen monitors, an expansive view of Manhattan and, on a Tuesday…

NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) CEO Jeff Zucker, in a Q&A with Ellen Pollock, executive editor, BusinessWeek, opened the McGraw-Hill Media Summit by taking on Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart, who on the Daily Show last week took CNBC and one of its main stars, Mad Money host Jim Cramer, to task…

Last week, NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) cut some 500 jobs as part of CEO Jeff Zucker’s campaign to slash $500 million from operating costs for 2009. Today Zucker made it clear that his pragmatic approach applies to spending in the M&A side. While others talk about possible opportunities, Zucker told…

Not that this will shock anyone, but with Wall St. falling off the high wire, this is unlikely to be a a period of big time dealmaking. Speaking at a breakfast sponsored by Portfolio, media bigs Mel Karmazin, Jeff Zucker and Steve Rattner (Quadrangle), agreed that a slow period for…

Jeff Zucker, the CEO of NBC Universal (NYSE: GE), was on Charlie Rose the night before, and talked about, among other things, the company’s digital businesses. Count the number of time he uses the word “viable”, when talking about digital media side of his company’s business. He said it will…

As promised, NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) did not host the usual bombastic stage show for this year’s upfront. Instead, attendees had to navigate through a crowded maze of lights and plasma screens that had the feeling of being trapped in a Radio Shack theme park. From there, the throng moved…

After a few jokes about other interviewers being too busy (“Joe Franklin couldn’t be here, so they called me.”), Donny Deutsch, CNBC talk show host/chairman of Interpublic Group ad agency Deutsch Inc., opened the second day of the Ad Age Digital Marketing Conference by asking Jeff Zucker, NBC Universal’s (NYSE:…

Peacock Equity Fund, the strategic venture fund which is part of NBC Universal (NYSE: GE), has now upped it fund size from an initial $250 million to $1 billion, according to NBCU digital media VP Jessica Schell, speaking at Harvard Business School’s Entertainment & Media conference today. The fund, launched…

I am at NATPE, at the Mandalay Bay, listening in to Jeff Zucker, CEO of NBC Universal (NYSE: GE), who is striking a mixed note of pessimism and optimism. —The work stoppage is the most visible sign of disruption..the replacements are not necessarily ready for primetime. The breakdown of talks…

Among the goals Jeff Zucker, president and CEO of NBC Universal, (NYSE: GE) outlined for the company during the lunch session at the UBS Global Media & Communications Conference: replacing the $15 million associated with sales of downloads of the company’s prime-time lineup on Apple’s (NSDQ: AAPL) iTunes. Still, he…