NBCU scores, India inks, and Water hits a “sweet spot”

The ability of GE’s NBC Universal to buttress the bottom line — despite the economic downturn — continues to draw attention. In its story about why “television matters to GE,” The New York Times cites a dramatic reversal among some critics, who last year argued the unit should be spun off but now see it as “a key contributor of cash.” As the story notes, NBCU’s profits are outperforming its peers “and in the broader media universe, NBC Universal appears to be in a stronger position to weather the recession than many of its competitors, owing to its growing cable networks, the most durable corner of big media.”

It’s Hammer time: NBC Universal is in the spotlight this week, with more eyes on its strong cable properties including USA Network, which is helmed by Bonnie Hammer, far right, and features stars such as Tony Shalhoub in “Monk” and Debra Messing in “The Starter Wife.”

* Read the story
* Read “Ratings equal cash at NBC”

NBCU is also in the spotlight this week with USA Today’s profile of Bonnie Hammer, president of the unit that oversees cable’s biggest channel, USA Network, and SciFi Channel. “I can tell you that our (operating profit) margins are well over 50%. I’m very proud of that,” Bonnie told the paper. Revenue at USA is 13% ahead of the first quarter in 2008, which was its “best year ever in ratings, revenues, operating profit and margin — bar none,” according to Bonnie. The story notes USA and SciFi contributed more than $1 billion to NBCU’s 2008 profits.

* Read the USA Today story
* Learn about USA’s “Characters”

In other news, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy just announced the signing of two agreements with two government-owned companies in India as the firms prepare to collaborate on building multiple GE Hitachi-designed nuclear reactors. The agreements will help the world’s largest democracy meet its goal of expanding electricity generation tenfold by 2032. GE, which employs more than 14,500 people across India, built the country’s first nuclear plant during the 1960s.

* Read the story in India’s Business Standard
* Read GE’s announcement

And the magazine Global Water Intelligence talked with GE Water president Heiner Markhoff, who underscored GE’s goal in the industry of being a technology supplier rather than an engineering, procurement and construction contractor. “The sweet spot for GE was and will be technology,” Heiner says. “I think in this environment we have to think much more about partnerships where we work with players who can bring things together. I do not want us being the integrator of bits and pieces…. I think that the core of our offering in this business is technology, and bringing differentiated technologies to market which will help solve major problems.”

* Read “New GE Water boss makes his mark”

http://www.gereports.com/nbcu-scores-india-inks-and-water-hits-a-sweet-spot/

Tagged as: NBC Universal, Water