GE’s NBC Universal continues to turn heads for its ability to successfully grow its cable franchises. The Associated Press playfully writes: “These may not be the best of times for the United States, but they’re great for USA.” The story notes that USA Network averaged more than 3.2 million prime-time viewers during the first three months of 2009, “more than any other cable network in history and even more than the fifth broadcast network, the CW, according to Nielsen Media Research. The more important number is $1 billion. Those are the profits USA and its cable sister, SciFi, contributed to NBC Universal’s bottom line last year.”


We’re watching you: USA’s shows such as “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” starring Jeff Goldblum and Julianne Nicholson, are keeping the network humming.

One big item in its favor is “like broadcasters, USA earns money by selling advertisements. Unlike broadcasters, USA gets lucrative subscription fees paid by cable systems that carry it.” Says Bonnie Hammer, president of the unit that oversees USA Network and SciFi Channel, “There are two streams of revenue. That alone is a huge advantage.”

* Read “These are great times for the USA (cable network)”

Meanwhile, in its cover story, Broadcasting & Cable describes how Oxygen’s growth is continuing, with ad revenue increasing in the first quarter of this year and ratings among its target demographic of 18-34-year-old women jumping by “more than any other network in ad-supported cable’s top 30.” The magazine asked if NBCU thought it could repeat the great success it had growing Bravo. Said Jeff Gaspin, president and COO of Universal Television Group: “I see no reason why Oxygen shouldn’t follow the trajectory of Bravo. I actually think Oxygen has a better sense of who they are than Bravo did in its first couple of years under our ownership.”

* Read “Breathing New Life Into Oxygen”

And TV Week gives NBC Universal high marks for the other kind of green, writing in a story this week that it has been able to “generate tens of millions of dollars worth of sponsorship revenue” in its various green-themed campaigns. “The scale of NBC Universal’s green promotions sets it apart from other media companies, such as CBS Corp. and Discovery Communications, which also have linked their programming and marketing to environmentally friendly themes. It’s a seam that hasn’t been tapped out yet,” TV Week writes. “Research by NBC and by some of its sponsors shows environmental consciousness is a value that is surviving the recession. Consumers say they would spend more for something from a green company, even in this economic environment.”

Read “At NBCU, Green Means Green”