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NBC's Zucker Hints At Return to iTunes
Bad corporate blood led to the collapse of the NBC/Apple business relationship in the fall of last year. Now, via the Engadget news feed, comes word that things may be thawing out between the two. A for-pay article in the Financial Times had words from NBC Universal's COE Jeff Zucker, saying: "'We've said all along that we admire Apple, that we want to be in business with Apple.' He then unexpectedly adds, 'We're great fans of Steve Jobs.' No telling what has caused the turnabout. Perhaps the writers strike gave both parties time to reflect on their mounting lost revenue." The site also notes that NBC signed a deal as part of the recent movie rental announcement, possibly contributing to the thaw. They link to a BusinessWeek article pointing out positive statements from Jobs reciprocating these 'feelings'.
Evil Minion: "Sir! The RDF temporarily collapsed! We may have lost NBC."
Captain Jobs: "Fire up the emergency generators, and reroute power from auxillary sources."
Minion: "Yes, they are back online now."
NBC is reported to have asked Disney if Disney's friend, Apple, still liked NBC; and if so, did Apple just like NBC, or did it, you know, "like" like NBC.
NBC CEO Jeff Zucker to Lead iTunes Insurgency! I am so glad that Jeff came out of the closet with this! Apple has everyone in the media business running scared! Finally Jeff Zucker stands up to these itards during a speech at the Syracuse Newhouse School of Communications where he urged media companies to take a stand against Apple. He said: "We know that Apple has destroyed the music business -- in terms of pricing -- and if we don't take control, they'll do the same thing on the video side." He said that all he asked Jobs for was control over the pricing of HIS products and a cut of the iPod sales profits, Jobs just barked at him: "NO! Get thee behind me Satan!" That ripped it for Jeff! Now he is organizing the rest of the media and software companies in an attempt to overthrow the tyrants! He called me this morning, - I gave him my unqualified support! 0 - Accepted the postion of Chief of Information Dissemination. - Offered the ZuneMedia store to him where he can charge as much as he likes! - Even told him he could have 15% of Zune sales! I'm proposing that we call this the ALO (Apple Liberation Organization). I'm ready to scale the ramparts with a broken Bourbon bottle in hand screaming, "DOWN WITH APPLE! DOWN WITH iTUNES! Vive la Zucker! Vive la Zucker!"
The Secret Diary of Steve Ballmer
Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.
Me: Here, take my money!
NBC: No, thanks. Not until Steve says he's sorry.
Mea navis aericumbens anguillis abundat
Unless he was calling him fat in the process.
Andrea Jung joined Apple's board of directors a couple of weeks ago.
She's also on GE's board of directors.
GE owns 80% of NBC Universal.
(and since Kevin Bacon has no doubt worked for NBC Universal, I can connect Steve Jobs to Kevin Bacon in four steps)
"The worst tyrannies were the ones where a governance required its own logic on every embedded node." - Vernor Vinge