NBC Name on the Chopping Block?
Is the name “NBC” to go the way of “Studebaker” and “Woolworths”?
It’s looking more likely after the acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast.
FRom Comcast Could Drop the NBC Name:
The cable operator [Comcast] referred to the “New NBCU” in its announcement of a deal that will give Comcast control of the NBC broadcast network and its portfolio of cable channels. For now, the company “will remain NBC Universal, but ultimately Comcast could decide to change the name,” Tim Arango reported Thursday morning.
Eventually, the name NBC, short for the National Broadcasting Company, could go the way of history. Given both companies’ emphasis on cable channels, a name like Comcast Entertainment may make more sense in the long term.
The report further states that executives at Comcast talked about the “baggage” that the NBC brand carries. The report did not state anything being discussed about the “baggage” that comes with the MSNBC brand.
MSNBC is currently ranked anywhere from 2nd to 4th among news cable networks in prime time, running well behind Fox News in all of the time slots.
It’s been speculated at DBKP that Comcast could choose to run the MSNBC unit as a more centralist news organization and try to capture market share from Fox News.
For the time being, MSNBC and CNN fight over the 20% of the country that self-identifies as “liberal”, leaving the rest of cable news viewership to Fox News.
Broadcasting & Cable [Domain Déjà vu for NBCU] reported that Comcast’s registrar has put a lock on the domain names ComcastNBCU.com and NBCUComcast.com back in mid-October. ComcastEntertainment.com has also been locked up for Comcast within the last month.
B & C did have this interesting note at the end of their story, which came out on November 2:
“But cybersquatters (and, ahem, NBCU and Comcast’s legal departments) take note. NBCUniversalComcast.com and ComcastNBCUniversal.com are both available for purchase as of this writing.”
But that was 31 days ago as this is being typed.
That’s an eternity on the Internet: both domain names are now taken.
UPDATE: For a good reason why the NBC name might be considered “baggage”, here’s the NBC News take on ClimateGate
The NBC take? NBC is currently in Day 12 of not mentioning ClimateGate. Now that’s news!
Nothing’s changed and climate change is one of the biggest problems facing mankind. No wonder they’re hurting…
[...] NBC Name on the Chopping Block? Maybe… One reason may be that NBC is currently, according to Media Research Center, in the [...]
[...] NBC Name on the Chopping Block? Maybe… One reason may be that NBC is currently, according to Media Research Center, in the [...]
Comcast over charges the public for 10 years and buys a (poorly run) American institution.
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