Ratings equal cash at NBC

The news teams at GE’s NBC Universal division have another reason to cheer. Its “Nightly News” broadcast has finished first for 20 consecutive weeks and its other news programs are surging, but as Bill Carter writes in The New York Times, “NBC is also winning one more competition – perhaps the biggest one – just as convincingly: Its news division is making a pile of money, while its competitors are making much less, or none at all.” Adds Carter: “The scales are tipped in NBC’s favor, mainly because of assets neither of its rivals possess: moneymaking, information-based channels.”

Read the story: A Matrix of News Winners Buoys NBC


In the money: Maria Bartiromo is part of the CNBC team driving NBC Universal’s ratings successes.

One of NBC Universal’s successes is CNBC, about which the paper writes in a separate story. Although the Times story does quote critics of CNBC at length, the paper, noting its record ratings, says: “CNBC is a boon to NBC Universal’s bottom line; it has posted record profits for at least the last three years and [president Mark] Hoffman says the first quarter of 2009 has been ‘very strong’ for the network.”

Read the story: CNBC Thrives as Hosts Deliver News with Attitude


7 Comments

  1. dividend investor says:

    I think Jack Donaghy attending that six sigma initiative at GE was a good thing.

  2. Ross says:

    CNBC, is the reason i got Pay TV, the shows are headed by people who really know what they are talking about, but make business fun too. The recent "House of Cards" doco is an example of breaking down the complexity of this crisis and telling everyone exactly how it happened, I told my team at work if they wanted an explanation on this crisis watch that documentary. What I would love to see is a documentary on how GE, our company, has weathered the large economic storms in the past, we need some good news stories about our company.

  3. Longterm Investor says:

    I am buying 100-200 shares a month of GE at these prices. I own 2500 shares of GE!!

    My goal is to own 3700 shares of GE over the next 12 months. Hopefully prices stay low because its affordable for new people.

    I think people seem to forget that when you own a share its partial ownership in a real living company. 20-30 years from now I think I will be glad I made the decision to buy GE stock instead of buying a new car this year to replace my 1998 Toyota. I will drive it one or two more years and invest in GE which is investing in America.

    I live in florida so I will drive to the Shareholder Meeting in my 98 Corolla :) Never been to one so it will be an experience. I will vote my shares.

  4. Retired Investor says:

    To: Longterm Investor

    I managed to think the same when I was young…thinking I will retire rich since I have lots of GE shares, however, with this down turn of financial economy I was wrong and paying this price very hard today. I would recommend to invest your nest eggs some where else in order to survive any future bad economy.

    Good luck!

  5. longterm investor says:

    I am not looking to retire rich. Just comfortable. GE is one of my stocks in my portfolio. I will sell out of the money covered calls and collect the dividends. Remember if you bought GE during the last bear market of 1978 you would be up today 798% even with this bear market.

    Too many people forget stocks are 30 or more year investments not 5-10 year investments.

  6. Cashedup says:

    Thats the spirit longterm!!!!

  7. James Fenn says:

    Why is msnbc so liberal. Zucker needs to be far more objective. Example is C. Matthews who has been extremely hateful of Pres. Bush never givikng him any credit whatsoever.

LEAVE A COMMENT

    *required fields

    Your comment needs to be approved by the site owner before it will appear. Thank you for your patience. If you have any questions, please read GE's .