Jeff Zucker

Comcast has tapped former Showtime President Bob Greenblatt to run NBC Entertainment as the cable giant continues to reorganize the leadership at the network in advance of its proposed acquisition of NBC Universal from General Electric, Reuters reported.

Comcast will soon control NBC but doesn't yet. Still, the cable giant is moving to put its own stamp on NBC, naming its own chief operating officer, Stephen Burke, to replace Jeff Zucker as CEO of NBC Universal.

NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker is leaving the company ahead of its impending merger with cable giant Comcast. Zucker said he made the decision because NBC Universal's new owners "deserve the chance to implement their own vision."

If there's a surprise in today's report that Jeff Zucker has agreed to an exit package that will take him out of his job as chairman of NBC Universal, it's only that someone didn't put an end to his incompetent tenure years ago.

Led by Senator Al Franken, lawmakers Thursday clashed with top execs at Comcast and NBC Universal over their claim that the media giants' merger would benefit the public. Despite calling for "strong conditions," legislators seemed likely to let the deal go through.

During Congressional testimony Thursday, top executives from Comcast and NBC Universal pledged to restore the luster of the beleaguered Peacock Network, which has suffered through low ratings, a dearth of hit shows, and most recently, the Leno-Conan debacle.

Our long national nightmare is over: Conan O'Brien and NBC are parting ways in peace, if not amity. In a deal expected to be announced officially later Thursday, the network will pay the Tonight Show host $32 million to walk away.

The sniping among late night comedians has intensified over the last few days, as millionaire entertainers jostle for position in the great Jay Leno - Conan O'Brien conflict. A lot of fingers are pointing at one side or another, but the real blame lies with the NBC executive who started the whole thing.

NBC Universal chairman Jeff Zucker is spending $40 million of General Electric's money to get rid of Conan O'Brien. NBC was contractually bound to give O'Brien $40 million if it canceled the show -- but it also buys Zucker a non-disparagement clause from the late-night comic.

NBC Universal's chairman failed to anticipate that Jay Leno wouldn't want to take early retirement, or how audiences would turn him off in prime time. Now he's preparing to demote O'Brien to coddle Leno, whose best days are clearly behind him.