BoomTown » Late Night

NBC Universal President and CEO Jeff Zucker: The Full D7 Interview

Kara Swisher — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:37:34 +0000

Jeff Zucker runs one of the world’s leading media and entertainment content companies, which is also being caught in the throes of a major shift, due to the impact of the Internet over the last decade.

In this onstage interview with me at the seventh D: All Things Digital conference, Zucker talks about the state of the television business; the changing advertising market; the impact of Hulu, an online premium video joint venture the GE (GE) unit NBC launched with News Corp. (NWS); and precisely what he meant when he said that the Web was turning “analog dollars into digital pennies.”

Here’s the video of the full D7 session (the video does not include a short intro video done by NBC’s “Late Night” host Jimmy Fallon, which includes a ribald joke about Zucker marrying Courtney Cox):

[ See post to watch video ]

Grand Theft Volvo

Kara Swisher — Sat, 03 May 2008 07:23:05 +0000

This is an hysterical spoof video, by “Late Night” host Conan O’Brien, with a very sanitized version of Grand Theft Auto IV.

The new version of the ultra-violent videogame came out this week, to rave reviews.

I would rather play this, as I have taken that crazy right on red on the way to my kid’s soccer practice, living on the edge of danger:

Top Five Reasons David Letterman Is Smarter Than Hollywood

Kara Swisher — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 08:30:06 +0000

5. Because his World Wide Pants production company took only two weeks to bang out a separate agreement with writers to go back to work at his “Late Show” on CBS from their strike after saying they would try to make a deal.

4. Because he will get the best guests now, because actors would rather forgo Botox than walk across picket lines over at places like NBC’s “Tonight Show” and “Late Night” to flack their latest movie, TV show or whatever.

3. Because his show will be funnier than competitors, who are also resuming production with their writers still on strike, because writers are funny and nonwriters are, um, not.

2. Because this might prove to be a small return to sensibility between the two sides in the fight–writers and studios–both of whom are not negotiating at all as much as conducting what is now a pretty senseless PR fight in which everyone is a loser and no one will win.

1. Because he named his production company World Wide Pants.