Wright discusses MSNBC/CNBC/NBC on Cavuto…
NBC Universal’s Bob Wright and his wife were on Your World this afternoon to talk about Autism but Cavuto managed to get a couple of questions regarding MSNBC, CNBC, and NBC in as well. Though Wright dodged a bit about a CNBC/MSNBC merger and didn’t directly answer the question with a flat out denial, he did say that he was pleased with the direction MSNBC and CNBC are going, particularly in primetime. And he did flat out deny that NBC was up for sale. This particular line of questioning started with Cavuto wondering if their grandson’s Autism and their subsequent crusade to raise awareness for the disease maybe might have taken Wright’s “eye off the ball at Universal” (which Wright steadfastly denied). Transcript follows…
CAVUTO: Bob, can I ask you this? And I don`t this to be impolitic. But do you think, because of your concern and focus on your grandson, that your — your eye was off the ball at Universal?
BOB WRIGHT: No, I don`t, because the — you know, that is the first thing I think about every morning. Am I doing everything possible to make and keep Universal to be as successful as possible?
CAVUTO: But NBC has fallen in the ratings.
B. WRIGHT: Well, you know, these things happen, Neil.
CAVUTO: Yes.
B. WRIGHT: You don`t — it`s — it`s — I have been there before.
It is — you — you get on a — and a — we had a very, very long trend. And we have to, you know, pick it up. We have got a lot of brand-new shows. But, you know, anybody that — anybody that gets involved in something like this, you think every waking moment, am I — am I allocating my time? Am I doing what I should be doing? It actually makes you more focused, rather than less focused.
(CROSSTALK)
CAVUTO: But — but I know a thing or two about illness as well, Bob. And I know how, sometimes, it can preoccupy you. And given the troubles at NBC, you know, rumors that MSNBC and CNBC are in trouble, did any of this maybe leave it to underlings who were not up to the job?
B. WRIGHT: Well, I have got to say, first of all, MSNBC and CNBC are doing much better. And CNBC is doing just fine. So…
(CROSSTALK)
CAVUTO: So, you are not planing any changes there?
B. WRIGHT: No. They`re — I mean, they have — they have really improved dramatically. And I`m very — I`m very pleased about…
(CROSSTALK)
CAVUTO: MSNBC and CNBC?
B. WRIGHT: Yes. The — the — the issue we have — the only real issue we have is — you know, is in prime time. And we know it. And we are putting a lot of resources and very, very good people. We brought a lot of new people into the mix, some…
CAVUTO: Right.
B. WRIGHT: … new producers and new talent and different directions. And, so, we just have to let it play out.
CAVUTO: One rumor has it that MSNBC and CNBC would combine. Is that true?
B. WRIGHT: The — we are — we are here to talk about autistic…
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
CAVUTO: I know. I know. But you were also open to talk about other things.
One other that I heard is that NBC is on the block. Is it?
(LAUGHTER)
B. WRIGHT: We are here to talk about Autism.
NBC is — NBC has — is a marvelous organization. And it`s had enormous success over a wide-ranging time. And, hopefully, it will be doing that for a very long time.
CAVUTO: So, not on the block?
B. WRIGHT: No.
UPDATE: Broadcasting & Cable’s John M. Higgins has a bit more…
UPDATE 2: Replaced rough transcript with an official transcript.
Talking about autism on a ‘business show’? Doesn’t sound like business to me. Ah..but this is the same show that interviews stippers from time to time. See, yet another example of FNC baiting the program with something then making it out to be something else. And FNC is about news?…yea right!
Comment by Harry — May 30, 2006 @ 10:15 pm
Well at least this confirms that CNBC is indeed on the rebound (i.e. “CNBC is doing just fine so…I…”)…taking a look at it’s daytime ratings, it has snapped back quite nicely from even a few years ago (though not near it’s ‘00 highs)…I’ve always thought CNBC daytime (4am-7pm) and MSNBC primetime (7pm - 3am) would be a perfect combination….MSNBC’s daytime programming sucks and CNBC’s primetime programming blows (except for DOND which seems to be doing exceptionally well)
Comment by Anonymous — May 30, 2006 @ 10:49 pm
So what if Cavuto talks about Autism on his show…Raising awareness about Autism no matter what the forum seems ok to me.
And what is wrong with having strippers on your show, after all they are people too….
Comment by JR — May 31, 2006 @ 12:45 pm
I just looked at the ratings for May. MSNBC’s highest rated program was one of their crime shows on Friday night, then Hardball, then another crime show, then Olbermann. They are getting better ratings with repeats of crime shows than they do with their regular primetime series–that’s just pathetic.
Comment by MGM — May 31, 2006 @ 1:58 pm
First of all, Cavuto’s program includes business stories, politics and anything else he wants to include. You never see individual stock prices, ticker symbols, charts, etc. on his program; he and his guests discuss business and other stories in more general terms. He garners much better ratings than straight-business-reporting CNBC, so I guess his strategy is more interesting to the viewing public.
And regarding NBC’s programming: I rarely watch network TV, except for Law and Order, The Apprentice and The Office. But it’s unbelievable what NBC has done as far as shifting these programs schedules. Law and Order has been pre-empted so many times over the years, it’s amazing it’s done as well as it has. Same with The Office on Thursdays; even though it’s only been on a year or two, half the time they’ve got another program on in it’s timeslot. And The Apprentice? It moved to Monday nights, plus they actually start it at 9:01 p.m. now. Yes, that’s right, a minute late! I’d switch it on at 9:00 p.m., see that it wasn’t on, and go back to cable news. I just recently found out that The Apprentice was being shown, but late. How many others may have thought, as I did, that it just wasn’t on that night?
They’d be better off just putting a program in a time slot and sticking to it, so that viewers could know when to watch each week. Screwing around with the schedule is one good way to lose viewers.
Comment by Missy — May 31, 2006 @ 8:36 pm
Your World is not a business show. It is the news - the same news Brit Hume or Shep Smith or Charlie Gibson or Brian Williams would do - but from a business perspective. Brit Hume does the news from a beltway perspective. Now Cavuto does do a business show on Saturday. But his weekday show is and always has been the news as seen from Wall Street.
As far as the subject of autism - it’s very relevant to Cavuto - as he has something he has to deal with and live with every day himself.
Comment by erljr — May 31, 2006 @ 10:31 pm
Cavuto will tell you right out that he doesn’t believe that the whole hour should even be about business, because there’s more to life than money.
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