Zucker exits NBCU as Comcast looms

NBC Universal (NBCU) president and CEO Jeff Zucker will leave his role when Comcast Communications completes its proposed US$30bn takeover of the company, he told staff in an email today.

It had been widely speculated that Zucker would leave once the US cable giant takes a controlling 51% in NBCU. The Federal Communications Commission is currently reviewing the merger, which will be completed in early 2011, subject to clearance.

Zucker confirmed he was leaving in an email today, with speculation in the US suggesting he may have been pushed out. The executive has spent his entire 24-year career at NBCU, which is owned by General Electric (GE).

“When Comcast assumes control of NBC Universal, I will leave the company,” Zucker told staff. He added that despite “ups and downs” he felt “nothing but pride and joy” about his time at the company.

“Now, it is clear to me that this is the right decision for me and for the company,” he said. “Comcast will be a great new steward, just as GE has been, and they deserve the chance to implement their own vision. I am proud that they will inherit a company in very good shape, with almost every one of our divisions enjoying their best year ever.”

Zucker’s tenure saw NBCU’s cable networks and catch-up TV businesses grow significantly, but was also marked by failures such as the doomed decision to move The Jay Leno Show to primetime. Last month, the company increased its Q2 profits 13% to US$607m.

Zucker will now take some time before deciding on his next move. There’s no word on who will replace him as CEO, though US reports claim Comcast’s chief operating officer Steve Burke will assume the role.