NBC News

A recent episode of 'Race For the White House.'

“MSNBC and NBC are one,” said Phil Griffin. “We’ve said that for over a decade. It actually is true now.”

Mr. Griffin, the senior vice president of NBC News, was speaking on the phone to NYTV on Monday afternoon. He had brought up the unification of the two news operations as a way of explaining the internal politics underpinning the launch of MSNBC’s new prime-time show, Race for the White House, which premiered on March, 17 at 6 p.m., replacing Tucker.  read more »

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Twelve-story buildings qualify as skyscrapers here, so when you come into town, the Radisson on Elm Street is one of the first things you see.

It’s the hotel where NBC, ABC and C-SPAN are all kipping, and it’s also where Hillary Clinton’s campaign bus drops and picks up reporters every day, and where New Yorker political reporter Ryan Lizza said he comes to have a drink at night.  read more »

Oops! NBC reported this morning that Rep. Steve King, a key Iowa G.O.P. congressman, had endorsed Mitt Romney. Then a little while later, the network took it back, saying on its Web site that in fact Rep. King is backing Fred Thompson.

To NBC's credit, it didn't try to hide its error. Its site explains: "Team Romney is in the back of the room looking bewildered. They were all here, leading all the press to conclude that it was an endorsement for Romney."

You can see the progression of updates here.

Over the last few weeks, we've learned from several reports that NBC is planning a series of layoffs at NBC News and MSNBC. Today, TV Newser provides some names.

According to the site, Davidson Goldin, MSNBC's editorial director; Amy Rosenblum, the senior producer of the 10am hour of The Today Show; Joe Alicastro, a veteran NBC News producer; and Jean Harper, a senior prodcuer at Nightly News who has worked with Brian Williams for many years are all on the way out.

Mr. Goldin's likely departure was first reported last week by The New York Post.

NBC is planning to get rid of an entire level of MSNBC's management team, as well as making major cuts at NBC News, according to The New York Post. Two senior MSNBC staffers -- head of primetime programming Bill Wolf, and editorial director Davidson Goldin -- are set to see their jobs eliminated. But the cable network's top shows -- those hosted by Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, and Dan Abrams -- are said to be sacrosanct, and will escape the cuts unscathed.

As for CNBC, it too will be unaffected, says The Post, because NBC chief Jeff Zucker wants it at full strength to compete with Fox Business.  read more »

A "former NBC News network insider who maintains close ties with Mama Peacock’s news division" tells Jossip "there are going to be firings very soon -- everybody is terrified." 

The source says the layoffs will be part of a larger cost-cutting move that could save "tens of millions," and makes a "rough guestimate" that the firings will happen in two weeks. 

Guess we'll find out.  read more »

The Huffington Post notes that NBC Nightly News had almost a million more viewers last week than the week before, putting it back on top in the ratings--and attributes the bump, plausibly, to anchor Brian Williams' much-hyped November 3 appearance on Saturday Night Live.

The obvious lesson the networks will draw is that the best way to promote their news anchors to a younger audience is by putting them on shows that young people actually watch. In other words, brace for Charlie Gibson on Dancing with the Stars.

NBC is blaming the WGA's strike for the shelving of their Heroes spin-off, according to Variety. We have a feeling it has something to do with the crappy subplots and growing backlash, as well. As Newark Star-Ledger critic Alan Sepinwall’s blog put it, “Are we sure the writers of Heroes haven't already gone on strike?”

Variety reports:

Peacock wasn't talking Wednesday, but people familiar with the situation said NBC U entertainment co-chairs Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff didn't want to move forward with the project given the financial uncertainties of a possible WGA work stoppage.

Indeed, it's believed that all unproduced NBC production commitments are being re-evaluated in light of a likely strike.

"Heroes" also has been facing sophomore growing pains, losing some key staff members. Trying to take on the production of six more episodes of a hugely complicated, mythology-based skein might have proven to be too difficult, especially given the possibility that all production could halt soon.

Virginia Tech gunman Cho Seung-Hui mailed out a disturbing video to NBC News in which he says things like, "You have vandalized my heart, raped my soul and torched my conscience."

Reactions to the late-term-partial-birth abortion ban from the 2008 candidates was quick and broke along party lines.

Hillary Clinton's favorable ratings sunk in a USA Today/Gallup survey.

John Edwards may be having lunch with Mario Cuomo today.  read more »