NBCUniversal Media Group is the television and streaming arm of NBCUniversal, and the direct descendant and successor of the former division NBCUniversal Television Group, which existed from 2004 to 2019.
History
NBC Broadcasting
In 2006, NBCUniversal sold four stations from its smallest markets. In November 2007, the NBC Owned Television Stations changed its name to NBC Local Media. In March 2008, Local Media decided to focus on growing websites and the top ten market stations, placing WTVJ in Miami and WVIT in Hartford up for sale.
LXTV was acquired in January 2008 by NBC Local Media followed in March by the purchased of Skycastle Entertainment, Local Media's former outside sales and marketing firm. After NBC Weather Plus was shut down in late 2008, WNBC launched a replacement programming of local information, news and lifestyle as NBC New York Nonstop in March 2009 using LXTV programs.
In May 2009, NBC rolled out a tiered affiliation plan. The plan has three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Bronze is the standard existing short term affiliation, programming with ad inventory splits. With the silver plan, the affiliate and network would add working in other media: internet, wireless and video on demand areas with inventory splits, a different financial arrangement and promotion commitments. Gold affiliation agreement is a longer broader partnership in local online media and mobile digital TV with the network representing the gold affiliates in cable and satellite retransmission consent negotiations with the network sharing in the carriage revenue. A NBClocal.com livestyle website would be a part of the silver package. By July 2009, GE has been registering NBCmarket.com domains (like NBCIndianapolis.com) in markets where NBC stations are not NBC owned. NBC Affiliates Board chair Mike Fiorile indicated a preference on behalf of local stations that the local station should own its own brand in the market. Local Newser indicated that this might be attempt by NBC to compete with their local affiliates despite pointing out the NBC local program as a part of its top tier affiliation plans.
On October 24, 2012, NBC Owned Television Stations announced it will relaunch the NBC Nonstop network as Cozi TV, which will feature classic television shows, films and original programming. In July 2013, NBCU placed NBC TV Stations and Telemundo's O&Os stations into a new division, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, with New England Cable News being transferred into NBC TV Stations.
Broadcast, Cable, Sports and News
With Ted Harbert departing as head of NBC Broadcasting in September 2016, Mark Lazarus (as chairman of NBC Broadcasting and Sports) added this group to his responsibility over NBC Sports Group. In January 2019, NBCUniversal was reorganized to make way for their streaming service. Lazarus added NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Group and NBCUniversal News Group to his portfolio, now as chairman of NBCUniversal Broadcast, Cable, Sports and News (except for NBC Entertainment).
In an April 2020 reorganization, Lazarus was named chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming with the addition of responsibility over NBC Entertainment, Direct-to-Consumer and Digital Enterprises and Telemundo Enterprises. Andrew Lack also exited as chairman of NBCUniversal News Group as he was succeeded by Cesar Conde.
Units
NBC Entertainment
NBC Entertainment is NBCUniversal's entertainment arm of the NBC television network. The division has prime time programming, business affairs, West Coast research, marketing, public relations and network scheduling.
History
In July 2008, Universal Cable Productions was split off from Universal Media Studios and placed into NBCUniversal's NBCU Cable Entertainment division. On Monday, September 12, 2011, Universal Media Studios was renamed to Universal Television.
NBC Entertainment named Paul Telegdy as president of both its alternative and reality TV group and NBC Entertainment, along the formation of Universal Television Alternative Studios by president Meredith Ahr in June 2016. These promotions are part of a push for NBC to create and distribute future reality TV shows. However, late night programming was removed from Teledgy's portfolio, which also included annual specials. On September 24, 2018, Bob Greenblatt left NBC Entertainment's chairman position and was replaced by George Cheeks and Paul Telegdy.