FRIDA - NBC SENDS DATELINE TO SATURDAY "GRAVEYARD"

NBC's Dateline, which was once called upon to take over the time slots of poorly performing shows when the network gave them the shaft, is itself being shafted. The magazine program, which had already lost its Sunday-night slot when the network decided to go with NFL football on Sunday nights, has now lost its Friday-night slot as well. NBC said it will move Dateline to Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. in March, the lowest-rated night of the week. (Virtually no original entertainment programming airs on the networks on Saturdays.) A TVNewser source at the program called the move "classic Jeff Zucker," referring to the NBC Universal Television Group CEO. "He comes to a Dateline staff meeting THREE months ago and declares his 'full support' to Dateline and says he 'wouldn't be surprised if it went to 3 nights a week' -- and now has sent the show to the graveyard. Our leader is the most insincere guy at the network."

24/01/2006