Southland Canceled – Ben Silverman Strikes Again

America's Got Talent, Angela Amato, Angela Bromstad, Ann Biderman, Ari Emanuel, Arija Bareikis, Ben McKenzie, Ben Silverman, C. Thomas Howell, Dee Johnson, Dick Wolf, Emily Bergl, Heather Zuhlke, Heroes, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, John Ferriter, John Wells, Kevin Alejandro, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., Mercy, Michael Cudlitz, Michael McGrady, NBC Universal, Paul Telegdy, Regina King, Shawn Hatosy, Southland, Southland canceled, Susan Boyle, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, The Jay Leno Show, Tom Everett Scott, Trauma, Warner Bros. TelevisionFrom the executive grave, Ben Silverman has struck again.  Southland, the once promising (for one episode) gritty cop show has been canceled (before its season premiere!).

Another day – another failed show.  NBC is in big troubleMercy, Trauma, Heroes – all cancellations to come.

NBC had better start super-sizing episodes of The Office ASAP.

Also, maybe think about putting together a few hours of The Biggest Loser Outtakes.  Are there any extra Law & Orders laying around?  Somebody should get Dick Wolf on the phone.  That might work for a week or two.

Hey, America’s (Still) Got Talent – get the cameras rolling!  Or just show re-runs of Susan Boyle from Britain’s Got Talent.  How about that sand artist from Ukraine’s Got Talent?  Something is bound to work.  Right?

Thank God The Jay Leno Show only needs a 1.5 rating to make $300 million!

This has been an extremely challenging year for NBC so far – and it’s only October 8th.

Accel Partners, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Chris Hughes, David Kirkpatrick, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, Gerald Levin, Greylock Partners, HBO, Jeff Bewkes, Jeff Zucker, Jill Kennedy, Joanna Shields, Jon Miller, Khan Manka, Li Ka-shing, Manka Bros., Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Matt Cohler, MySpace, Nicolas Carlson, OnMedea, Owen Van Natta, Paul Buchheit, Peter Thiel, Rupert Murdoch, Sheryl Sandberg, Sumner Redstone, Toy Story 3Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

Ben Silverman’s New Company?

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Alan Spoon, Alexander von Furstenberg, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Arthur Martinez, Barry Diller, Ben Hur, Ben Hur Silverman, Ben Silverman, Bryan Lourd, Craig Smith, David Rosenblatt, Donald R. Keough, Donna Langley, Edgard Bronfman, Electus, Electus Logo, Ezra Kucharz, Fortune's 40 under 40, Graham Stanton, Greg Blatt, Greg Morrow, Greg Stevens, Gregg Winiarski, Hans Woolley, IAC, Jason Stewart, Jay Herratti, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Joanne Hawkins, Joey Levin, John C. Malone, John Ferriter, John Foley, Josh Abramson, Jr., Kara Swisher, Keynote address, Khan Manka, Louis Castle, Manka Bros., Mark Stein, media analyst, Michael Jackson, Michael Schwerdtman, Michael Zeisser, MIPTV Conference 2010, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Richard F. Zannino, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Ryan Seacrest, Scott Garell, Scott Savitz, Shana Fisher, Sharon Waxman, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, thewrap.com, Thomas J. McInerney, Tina Brown, twitter, Victor KaufmanOK, Ben.

It’s been nearly three months since you announced you were leaving NBC to start a new company that will “capitalize on the ever-evolving world of multimedia production and distribution.”   We’re still waiting.

Who knows?  Maybe you actually did stay at NBC to help launch the new season (or whatever) like you claimed you were going to do.

If you stayed, most likely you left the morning after The Jay Leno Show premiered so that you could tell people that it was a hit while you were there.

[Note: Latest ratings for The Jay Leno Show (10/5/09): 2.9/5 – but, according to John Ferriter, it only needs a 1.5 to make NBC Universal $300 million!]

I know it must be difficult to be a cutting-edge wunderkind and I’m not trying to rush you – but it’s time to announce your new venture.

I’m sure Barry Diller can’t wait to hear about it either.  He’s got $100 million riding on your genius.

Don’t worry, Ben Vegas will still be there after you launch your company.  And… don’t forget… hot chicks dig launch parties.

Accel Partners, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Chris Hughes, David Kirkpatrick, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, Gerald Levin, Greylock Partners, HBO, Jeff Bewkes, Jeff Zucker, Jill Kennedy, Joanna Shields, Jon Miller, Khan Manka, Li Ka-shing, Manka Bros., Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Matt Cohler, MySpace, Nicolas Carlson, OnMedea, Owen Van Natta, Paul Buchheit, Peter Thiel, Rupert Murdoch, Sheryl Sandberg, Sumner Redstone, Toy Story 3Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

The Jay Leno Show Has Failed

ABC, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Beverly Hills Hotel, CBS, CSI: NY, Dawn Ostroff, Deadline Hollywood, Dick Wolf, Eastwick, ER, Gossip Girl, Jay Leno, Jay Leno has Failed, Jay Leno ratings, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, John Ferriter, Julianna Margulies, Kate Gosselin, Khan Manka, Law & Order, Manka Bros., Nikki Finke, Octomom, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Peter Roth, Producers Caucus Panel, Sharon Waxman, Terry Semel, The CW, thewrap.com, Warner Bros., William Morris EndeavorBased on last night’s overnight ratings (September 30, 2009:  4.1/7), the above headline is what nearly every television production executive is screaming down the halls today (with the exception of those at NBC Universal.  They’re probably screaming something like… Will Comcast contribute to my 401K?  What happens to our stock options?, etc.).

Now, a 4.1/7 is a grand slam on The CW.  If every show on The CW got a 4.1/7, Dawn Ostroff (President) would be carried around on one of those Cleopatra-type chairs.  However, this is NBC and this is Jay Leno.  We’ve heard from stories past (lies in my opinion), that Jay only needs to “get a 1.5 rating (A18-49) to make $300 million a year for NBC”.  So a 4.1/7 is comfortably in that range – but still pathetic based on pre-season expectations.

However, there is a way that NBC can save face in the middle of this debacle.  They don’t even need to cancel The Jay Leno Show (why would you when you’re making that kind of bank?  I’m sure Comcast will do a complete audit in due-diligence – so one day we’ll know for sure).

Here’s what you do, NBC: BUY BILLBOARDS strategically-positioned around every major television production facility (as demonstrated below).  Every week, update the profit number of The Jay Leno Show and then put a tag at the bottom that reads something like:  “Hey TV Execs, how are your fall shows doing?  Throwing Off Any Cash?”

ABC, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Beverly Hills Hotel, CBS, CSI: NY, Dawn Ostroff, Deadline Hollywood, Dick Wolf, Eastwick, ER, Gossip Girl, Jay Leno, Jay Leno has Failed, Jay Leno ratings, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, John Ferriter, Julianna Margulies, Kate Gosselin, Khan Manka, Law & Order, Manka Bros., Nikki Finke, Octomom, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Peter Roth, Producers Caucus Panel, Sharon Waxman, Terry Semel, The CW, thewrap.com, Warner Bros., William Morris EndeavorThis would bring home the fact that The Jay Leno Show HAS NOT FAILED.  It might just stop this town from obsessing over ratings and fucking market share.  Ask The Food Network about their profits?  I think they’ll tell you they’re doing just fine.  And when was the last time they got even a 1.0/3 share?  It means nothing.

But, NBC, you have lost the PR war and it’s time to fight back.  Forget trying to put TV stars from other networks on with JayJay is about movie stars and pop icons.  Fuck Julianna Margulies, Jay.  You don’t need her or her TV friends and complaining in the media about it makes you look like a pussy (even more so).

Accel Partners, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Chris Hughes, David Kirkpatrick, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, Gerald Levin, Greylock Partners, HBO, Jeff Bewkes, Jeff Zucker, Jill Kennedy, Joanna Shields, Jon Miller, Khan Manka, Li Ka-shing, Manka Bros., Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Matt Cohler, MySpace, Nicolas Carlson, OnMedea, Owen Van Natta, Paul Buchheit, Peter Thiel, Rupert Murdoch, Sheryl Sandberg, Sumner Redstone, Toy Story 3Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

P.S. – I have nothing against Julianna Margulies.  Big fan.  She’s just F-ed by example.

Comcast Acquires NBC Universal?

Ari Emanuel, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Brian Roberts, Comcast, Comcast acquiring NBC Universal, Deadline.com, Disney, General Electric, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Bewkes, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, OnMedea, Sharon Waxman, Terry Semel, thewrap.com, Time Warner, World's Largest Media Company“COMCAST DENIES A DEAL IS DONE, BUT DOES NOT DENY TALKS.” Are you really fucking kidding me, Sharon?

So this is the way it’s going to be?  Semantics.

Everyone in the world with a blog could report anything (anything) and find a way to call it a true story.

My five-year-old daughter could tell me she knows where Iran is hiding a nuclear bomb and I could report:  “A trusted source tells me that Iran is hiding a nuclear bomb in a closet in La Canada.” I do consider my daughter to be “trusted”.  She’s the “source”.  Iran would come out immediately and call the story “inaccurate” – but I wouldn’t be a liar.

I’m stunned that nobody calls bullshit on a story that mentions quite a few details about a deal that is far from complete.

Ari Emanuel, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Brian Roberts, Comcast, Comcast acquiring NBC Universal, Deadline.com, Disney, General Electric, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Bewkes, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, OnMedea, Sharon Waxman, Terry Semel, thewrap.com, Time Warner, World's Largest Media CompanyYet nobody calls Sharon Waxman at TheWrap.com a liar.  Semantics.  Or… I suppose, because nobody really cares.  TheWrap.com got everything it needed from this story.  National exposure.  Who cares if it’s “inaccurate”?  That’s not the point.

Comcast and GE get everything they want out of the story – a test of the market to see what the rumor, if true, would do to their stock prices.

Even so, it’s absolutely ridiculous.

“Comcast is in talks to buy the entertainment giant NBC Universal from General Electric… ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGEABLE INDIVIDUALS.”  WTF does that mean?  I consider myself to be a “knowledgeable individual” – does that mean I could have been a source even if I didn’t know about the meeting?

“Deal points were hammered out…EXECUTIVES FAMILIAR WITH THE MEETING SAID.

Who are these “Knowledgeable Individuals” and “Executives Familiar With The Meeting” – and why the fuck are they talking to TheWrap.com?

Are “Sources” protected in online journalism?   What kind of a crazy-fucking world is it when Nikki Finke is the reserved one in a big entertainment business story like this?  Maybe it’s because she didn’t break the story and would love to see it discredited.  Actually, not “maybe” – I’m sure she wants to see it discredited.

The biggest surprise of all is that nobody is calling bullshit or lies lies lies.  In today’s journalistic environment, that means the story is, most likely, true.  And if I had the chance and “sources” to break this story, I would have done the same thing.

Accel Partners, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Chris Hughes, David Kirkpatrick, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, Gerald Levin, Greylock Partners, HBO, Jeff Bewkes, Jeff Zucker, Jill Kennedy, Joanna Shields, Jon Miller, Khan Manka, Li Ka-shing, Manka Bros., Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Matt Cohler, MySpace, Nicolas Carlson, OnMedea, Owen Van Natta, Paul Buchheit, Peter Thiel, Rupert Murdoch, Sheryl Sandberg, Sumner Redstone, Toy Story 3Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

John Ferriter and The Jay Leno Show

ABC, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Beverly Hills Hotel, CBS, CSI: NY, Deadline Hollywood, Dick Wolf, Eastwick, ER, Gossip Girl, Jay Leno, Jay Leno ratings, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, John Ferriter, Kate Gosselin, Khan Manka, Law & Order, Manka Bros., Nikki Finke, Octomom, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Peter Roth, Producers Caucus Panel, Sharon Waxman, Terry Semel, The CW, thewrap.com, Warner Bros., William Morris Endeavor

So, earlier today, I said that Leno’s 4.5/8 share was a disaster for NBC and they should start to think about living in a post-Leno world.

ABC, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Beverly Hills Hotel, CBS, CSI: NY, Deadline Hollywood, Dick Wolf, Eastwick, ER, Gossip Girl, Jay Leno, Jay Leno ratings, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, John Ferriter, Kate Gosselin, Khan Manka, Law & Order, Manka Bros., Nikki Finke, Octomom, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Peter Roth, Producers Caucus Panel, Sharon Waxman, Terry Semel, The CW, thewrap.com, Warner Bros., William Morris EndeavorBut I was just made aware of a statement by John Ferriter (head of WME’s Non-Scripted Department) at the Producers Caucus Panel that all Jay Leno needed to get was a 1.5 share (A18-49) in order to make NBC $300 million.

WHAT THE FUCK?!

Now by “make” I don’t know if he means revenue (which doesn’t make it a crazy statement) or profit (which makes it a crazy statement).  Either way – it’s bullshit and I don’t believe it.

If this was true, why wouldn’t every network do it?  Why wouldn’t Jeff Zucker be screaming it from the rooftops to Wall Street?  Gossip Girl gets a 1.5 rating and The CW doesn’t make shit.  I know… I know… it’s not apples-to-apples – but it’s still bullshit.

I started to wonder why John Ferriter would take such a bold stand and why does he really care?  Then I found the above picture of Mr. Ferriter with my old friend Ben Silverman in Vegas and it all made sense.

Seems to me Mr. Ferriter is just defending his friends’ crazy business model.  Ben has dated quite a few crazy business models in the past – but none so bold and insane as the one that makes $300 million for 1.5 rating.  Now that’s one hot model!

Why would NBC let such a genius get away?

So, according to my math, a 4.5/8 share should “make” NBC around $900 million.

Jesus Christ!  The Broadcast Network business is a great business!

Accel Partners, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Chris Hughes, David Kirkpatrick, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, Gerald Levin, Greylock Partners, HBO, Jeff Bewkes, Jeff Zucker, Jill Kennedy, Joanna Shields, Jon Miller, Khan Manka, Li Ka-shing, Manka Bros., Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Matt Cohler, MySpace, Nicolas Carlson, OnMedea, Owen Van Natta, Paul Buchheit, Peter Thiel, Rupert Murdoch, Sheryl Sandberg, Sumner Redstone, Toy Story 3Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

OH NO – Jay Leno’s Ratings Last Night – 4.5/8

Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Ben Silverman, Deadline Hollywood, Grace Kelly, Gregorian Calendar, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., National Cream Filled Donut Day, NBC, NFL Monday Night Football, Nikki Finke, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Sharon Waxman, Terry Semel, The Jay Leno Show, thewrap.com, Tony Disanto

Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Ben Silverman, Deadline Hollywood, Grace Kelly, Gregorian Calendar, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., National Cream Filled Donut Day, NBC, NFL Monday Night Football, Nikki Finke, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Sharon Waxman, Terry Semel, The Jay Leno Show, thewrap.com, Tony DisantoSorry, Jay.  The competition is only going to get tougher (just wait until you hit first-run episodes of those Thursday night dramas).

I hate for you to fail.  You’re such a likable guy.  But I LOVE that Ben Silverman is failing (failing upwards, I suppose, but still failing!).

It’s a real conundrum.

Good luck tonight against CSI: NY on CBS and Eastwick on ABC. Okay, you might do fine against Eastwick – maybe even a 4.7/9 share!  Whoopee!

It may be time to get OctoMom and Kate Gosselin in some sort of a wresting match – because only stunts like that can help you now.

[Note to Angela Bromstad and Paul Telegdy at NBC: You may want to contact Dick Wolf to get some more Law & Order iterations going.  Also, call Peter Roth over at Warner Bros. to see how long it might take to rebuild the ER set.]

Accel Partners, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Chris Hughes, David Kirkpatrick, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, Gerald Levin, Greylock Partners, HBO, Jeff Bewkes, Jeff Zucker, Jill Kennedy, Joanna Shields, Jon Miller, Khan Manka, Li Ka-shing, Manka Bros., Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Matt Cohler, MySpace, Nicolas Carlson, OnMedea, Owen Van Natta, Paul Buchheit, Peter Thiel, Rupert Murdoch, Sheryl Sandberg, Sumner Redstone, Toy Story 3Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

Jay Leno’s Big Night

Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Ben Silverman, Deadline Hollywood, Grace Kelly, Gregorian Calendar, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., National Cream Filled Donut Day, NBC, NFL Monday Night Football, Nikki Finke, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Sharon Waxman, Terry Semel, The Jay Leno Show, thewrap.com, Tony Disanto

Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Ben Silverman, Deadline Hollywood, Grace Kelly, Gregorian Calendar, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., National Cream Filled Donut Day, NBC, NFL Monday Night Football, Nikki Finke, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Sharon Waxman, Terry Semel, The Jay Leno Show, thewrap.com, Tony DisantoTonight is either beginning of the end of NBC or the beginning of a new television business model. 

I’m betting BIG on the former.

It will be interesting to follow The Jay Leno Show’s ratings for about a week and then the media will become bored reporting that Jay’s numbers were, once again, 5.3 with a 7 share (2.3 / 4 18-49).

But at least for tonight, it’s interesting.

All I can say is – Good Luck, Jay.  You’ll still be a rich and successful man even though you are now the face of dying network.

(In truth, broadcast networks are already dead… but I digress.)

My predictions on how the NBC promotions department will spin tomorrow’s ratings:

  • Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.

 

  • Because of the low production costs, we don’t need home run ratings to make a big profit.

 

 

  • Obviously, we were hoping for a much bigger number, but we firmly believe that the audience will grow once kids have adjusted to returning to school.

 

 

 

  • There may have been some confusion by those people who haven’t adapted to the Gregorian calendar.

Once again, good luck Jay.  You’re in a no win situation.

Accel Partners, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Chris Hughes, David Kirkpatrick, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, Gerald Levin, Greylock Partners, HBO, Jeff Bewkes, Jeff Zucker, Jill Kennedy, Joanna Shields, Jon Miller, Khan Manka, Li Ka-shing, Manka Bros., Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Matt Cohler, MySpace, Nicolas Carlson, OnMedea, Owen Van Natta, Paul Buchheit, Peter Thiel, Rupert Murdoch, Sheryl Sandberg, Sumner Redstone, Toy Story 3Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

Angela Bromstad and Paul Telegdy Meet The Press

American Idol, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Don Francisco, IAC, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jill Kennedy, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., Medea, NBC, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Paula Abdul, Sabada Gigante, Saved By The Bell, Screech, Television Critics Association, Universal Media Studios, Univision, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt

American Idol, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Don Francisco, IAC, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jill Kennedy, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., Medea, NBC, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Paula Abdul, Sabada Gigante, Saved By The Bell, Screech, Television Critics Association, Universal Media Studios, Univision, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey ImmeltAngela Bromstad, President of Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios and Paul Telegdy, EVP, Alternative Programming and Production, NBC and Universal Medea Studios spoke to reporters at the Television Critics Assocation summer press tour in Pasadena on Wednesday and I think we got a pretty good idea of where NBC is headed.

It’s going to be quite a challenge for the duo to top Ben Silverman’s amazing run as programming head (in which NBC solidified it’s position as the #4 network).  Now Ben is off to try to bring down Barry Diller’s media empire (maybe that wouldn’t be the end of the world).

The main take-away from Wednesday’s meeting with the press was Ms. Bromstad and Mr. Telegdy’s commitment to quality.  They…ahem… definitely seemed to be on the same page.

American Idol, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Don Francisco, IAC, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jill Kennedy, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., Medea, NBC, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Paula Abdul, Sabada Gigante, Saved By The Bell, Screech, Television Critics Association, Universal Media Studios, Univision, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey ImmeltAmerican Idol, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Don Francisco, IAC, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jill Kennedy, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., Medea, NBC, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Paula Abdul, Sabada Gigante, Saved By The Bell, Screech, Television Critics Association, Universal Media Studios, Univision, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey ImmeltAngela Bromstad:  “Our goal is to bring back high-quality, sophisticated dramas and comedy and a  brand of alternative that falls into that.

Paul Telegdy:  “[Paula Abdul] is an exceptional piece of talent… as a viewer, I’d miss her on the show [American Idol].”  In regards to possibly pursuing her for a show on NBC… “I wouldn’t rule anything out.”

Paula Abdul (from 2007):  “I don’t understand how this man [some radio host] can call me a whining bitch.  I’ve never in my life been called a whining bitch and a loser.”

I think if NBC could somehow get Paula Abdul in her own show saying things like the above, it would be amazing and a perfect fit for the new commitment to quality.

American Idol, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Don Francisco, IAC, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jill Kennedy, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., Medea, NBC, OnMedea, Paul Telegdy, Paula Abdul, Sabada Gigante, Saved By The Bell, Screech, Television Critics Association, Universal Media Studios, Univision, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey ImmeltHey, maybe they could even get that guy Screech from Saved By The Bell (the one that had to have a garage sale in Kansas to try to save his house).  That would really put NBC on the road to  recovery.

Another approach may be just to expand Jay Leno to three hours every night (sort of like Sabado Gigante on Univision).

Accel Partners, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Chris Hughes, David Kirkpatrick, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, Gerald Levin, Greylock Partners, HBO, Jeff Bewkes, Jeff Zucker, Jill Kennedy, Joanna Shields, Jon Miller, Khan Manka, Li Ka-shing, Manka Bros., Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Matt Cohler, MySpace, Nicolas Carlson, OnMedea, Owen Van Natta, Paul Buchheit, Peter Thiel, Rupert Murdoch, Sheryl Sandberg, Sumner Redstone, Toy Story 3Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

Ben Silverman – Master Innovator?

I was at a party once and (G. Gordon) Liddy put his hand over a candle, and he kept it there.  He kept it right in the flame until his flesh was burned.  Somebody said, “What’s the trick?”  And Liddy said, “The trick is not minding.”

Deep Throat – All The President’s Men

$100 million start up fund, All the President's Men, Alpo, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Charlie McCarthy, Coca-cola, Ed McMahon, Edgar Bergen, Ernest Hemingway, Ex-lax, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ford Trucks, G. Gordon Liddy, Gatorade, George Cloney, IAC, Jeff Zucker, Jill Kennedy, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., media analyst, NBC Universal, On Medea, OnMedea, Ryan Seacrest, Starbucks, The Biggest Loser, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, twitter, William FaulknerI’m not suggesting by the title of this entry and the above quote that Ben Silverman is as nuts as G. Gordon Liddy.  Far from it.  I personally believe he is too big of a pussy to even come close to burning his hand in a flame.   But there is a certain recklessness (and his bizarre relishing in this recklessness) that makes the comparison apt.  It’s almost like he wants you to call him a “hard-partying, womanizing, break the rules kind of guy.”  That’s his badge of honor.  And it works for most rock stars and even George Clooney – but not Ben.

I know for a fact that a few drugs and a good amount of booze has helped to shape some of the greatest content ever produced.  Can you imagine jazz evolving as it did without the use of drugs?  Can you imagine Hemingway or Faulkner or Fitzgerald writing sober?  Can you imagine the filmmaking of 1970s without any chemicals to get through the long nights?  Luckily we don’t have to.

There have been many successful executives in the past (and some currently) that have partied just as hard – but you don’t hear much about their social lives because they do their jobs and hit their numbers.  When you fail, everyone starts looking very closely at how you spend your day.

Success would have saved Mr. Silverman and he would have been allowed to do whatever he wanted.  (And Jeff Zucker probably would have encouraged him to continue to do whatever it was he was doing.)  But he failed.

Ben Silverman was an absolute disaster at NBC.  Practically everything he touched turned to shit (the list of expensive flops is long and you most likely have read about them elsewhere) – and yet, here he is, partying his way to the top of another company.

$100 million start up fund, All the President's Men, Alpo, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Charlie McCarthy, Coca-cola, Ed McMahon, Edgar Bergen, Ernest Hemingway, Ex-lax, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ford Trucks, G. Gordon Liddy, Gatorade, George Cloney, IAC, Jeff Zucker, Jill Kennedy, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., media analyst, NBC Universal, On Medea, OnMedea, Ryan Seacrest, Starbucks, The Biggest Loser, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, twitter, William FaulknerIn my opinion, Barry Diller has done his shareholders a great disservice by letting this failure control a $100 million fund to bridge “the gap between traditional television and the internet”.

Sounds like an amazing idea, Barry!  Somebody has got to figure out that puzzle, I suppose.  And based on all the executive talent out there, you picked… Ben Silverman.

But, stupid me, I keep forgetting, based on press releases, Ben Silverman is a great innovator and the absolute right man to bridge that ‘gap’ (right man, that is, if advertisers are ready to party like animals, miss meetings, sleep late and never see a project through to the end).

But let me give credit where credit is due.  Mr. Silverman is a guy who seamlessly integrated advertiser’s products into storylines of reality and scripted shows such as The Restaurant and The Biggest Loser.  Wow, was that restaurant cooking with ACTUAL FOOD?  Was that biggest loser drinking a Gatorade?  I’m glad Mr. Silverman came up with the idea to let the biggest losers hydrate themselves.  That’s a stroke of genius.  The contestants should be very glad he didn’t cut the deal with Starbucks – the biggest losers would have then had to hydrate with Venti Lattes.)

Note to BenEd McMahon sat next to a dog eating Alpo on The Tonight Show and it sold a lot of AlpoCharlie McCarthy (Edgar Bergen’s ventriloquist puppet) sold a ton of Ex-lax on the radio and he’s a freakin’ puppet that can’t possibly know what it’s like to be constipated!  Products sell because people want the products – not because a Ford Truck was seamlessly integrated into a webisode about a cop and a hooker.

There have been great innovations in advertising (the banner ads on the right side of this blog for one) – but Ben Silverman hasn’t come up with one (no matter how hard he tries to say that he has).  Mr. Silverman has obviously gotten very lucky in life and now has $100 million to play with, which will buy a lot of entertainment for himself and his daily girlfriends as he listens to pitches for web series about hot tits and Vegas fraternities.  I wish him all the best trying to sell those to Coke.

Here’s a prediction that will beat any tweet that Ryan Seacrest will make today:

The venture will fail – without fail.  Sorry, Barry.

Accel Partners, Ben Silverman, Bob Iger, Chris Hughes, David Kirkpatrick, Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, Gerald Levin, Greylock Partners, HBO, Jeff Bewkes, Jeff Zucker, Jill Kennedy, Joanna Shields, Jon Miller, Khan Manka, Li Ka-shing, Manka Bros., Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Matt Cohler, MySpace, Nicolas Carlson, OnMedea, Owen Van Natta, Paul Buchheit, Peter Thiel, Rupert Murdoch, Sheryl Sandberg, Sumner Redstone, Toy Story 3Jill Kennedy – OnMedea