Donald W Jr Ohlmeyer

Don Ohlmeyer, the head of NBC West Coast who is credited with taking the network to No. 1 in the ratings this year, checked himself into the Betty Ford Center on Thursday for a 28-day treatment program for alcohol dependency. Warren Littlefield, the president of NBC Entertainment, will temporarily take over Ohlmeyer's responsibilities.

Don Ohlmeyer, who came out of retirement and brought Dennis Miller into the sports world, is going back into retirement. He said Monday he will not return as the producer of ABC's "Monday Night Football." "I enjoyed my year, but the traveling got to me," he said. Ohlmeyer, 56, of Beverly Hills, has just completed a second home in the Reserve, a new resort development in Palm Desert, and said he plans to devote time to his hobbies--golf, painting and art history.

General Electric Co. on Wednesday tapped independent television producer Donald W. Ohlmeyer Jr. to revitalize its financially troubled NBC network and to breathe new life into NBC's sagging lineup of entertainment programs. The naming of Ohlmeyer to the newly created post of president, NBC West Coast, comes in response to mounting problems at the once-dominant network.

Don Ohlmeyer was no stranger to controversy during his six-year run as NBC's West Coast president, mostly due to his tendency--rare these days in executive circles--to bluntly say what was on his mind. Ohlmeyer famously referred to then-Disney President Michael Ovitz as "the antichrist," proclaimed his belief in longtime friend O.J. Simpson's innocence and only half-jokingly suggested News Corp. honcho Rupert Murdoch belonged in jail.

Smoke fumes from Don Ohlmeyer's office. Open packs of Marlboros litter his desk. He bangs an outsize ashtray into the garbage can, then calls to an assistant for a glass of ice water. "I gotta take my vitamins," he apologizes, knocking back the tablets with a couple of gulps. Only eight weeks into the job, the new president of NBC West Coast is trimming his usually full social calendar to be in the office at 7 a.m.

News directors and executives from more than 200 NBC-affiliated TV stations attending a network-sponsored gathering last week heard an unexpected and harsh critique of KNBC-TV Channel 4 and the news media by Don Ohlmeyer, president of NBC West Coast, sources said. The remarks from Ohlmeyer came after the executives, who were in the middle of a closed-door session at the Sheraton Grande Hotel during the opening day of the annual Radio-Television News Directors Assn.

In his role as a corporate chieftain this year, Michael Ovitz has been globe-trotting, meeting this week with Disney division heads in Europe and breaking bread last spring with the president of China. But several meetings closer to home in recent weeks may have required more finesse.

Probably Don Ohlmeyer's ace card as the new entertainment boss of troubled NBC is that he doesn't need the job. It's a long-shot task even for a gambler. And Ohlmeyer, a well-known independent producer, may well be rolling the dice plenty in his attempt to salvage the hemorrhaging network. If he comes up snake eyes, there's no telling the future of NBC, which is often rumored up for sale and has recently lost Johnny Carson, Bill Cosby and David Letterman from its roster of regular performers.

It was clear to television viewers, in the most obvious way, that NBC was coming apart at the seams. In a matter of just months, Bill Cosby and his historic sitcom were gone; Johnny Carson was gone; David Letterman would soon be gone--to competitor CBS; and the producers of "Cheers" announced that NBC's major hit of recent years would also be gone after this season. As NBC lost its trademark shows, it also lost its identity.

NBC unveiled a succession plan for its entertainment division Monday, naming Scott Sassa president of NBC Entertainment and the eventual replacement for Don Ohlmeyer, president of NBC West Coast, who will oversee the transition to new management until his contract expires at the end of next year.

It's seemingly been a summer of discontent for the major television networks. Combined ratings have slid to record lows, renewing questions about broadcasting's future amid the plethora of choices now available to most viewers via cable, satellite dishes and the Internet, with digital TV and other technological advances on the horizon. Looking back no further than Richard Nixon's presidency, the percentage of audience watching ABC, CBS and NBC in prime time has fallen from roughly 90% to 47%.

Throughout the debate over adding content-based labels to television programs, NBC West Coast President Don Ohlmeyer has remained one of the few entertainment executives willing to directly challenge the industry's critics on the issue. Nevertheless, it came as a surprise when NBC rejected the amended ratings just adopted (albeit with considerable reluctance) by its industry brethren, citing concerns about government intrusion into programming decisions.

Don Ohlmeyer, the head of NBC West Coast who is credited with taking the network to No. 1 in the ratings this year, checked himself into the Betty Ford Center on Thursday for a 28-day treatment program for alcohol dependency. Warren Littlefield, the president of NBC Entertainment, will temporarily take over Ohlmeyer's responsibilities.

News directors and executives from more than 200 NBC-affiliated TV stations attending a network-sponsored gathering last week heard an unexpected and harsh critique of KNBC-TV Channel 4 and the news media by Don Ohlmeyer, president of NBC West Coast, sources said. The remarks from Ohlmeyer came after the executives, who were in the middle of a closed-door session at the Sheraton Grande Hotel during the opening day of the annual Radio-Television News Directors Assn.

Don Ohlmeyer, who came out of retirement and brought Dennis Miller into the sports world, is going back into retirement. He said Monday he will not return as the producer of ABC's "Monday Night Football." "I enjoyed my year, but the traveling got to me," he said. Ohlmeyer, 56, of Beverly Hills, has just completed a second home in the Reserve, a new resort development in Palm Desert, and said he plans to devote time to his hobbies--golf, painting and art history.

NBC unveiled a succession plan for its entertainment division Monday, naming Scott Sassa president of NBC Entertainment and the eventual replacement for Don Ohlmeyer, president of NBC West Coast, who will oversee the transition to new management until his contract expires at the end of next year.

In his role as a corporate chieftain this year, Michael Ovitz has been globe-trotting, meeting this week with Disney division heads in Europe and breaking bread last spring with the president of China. But several meetings closer to home in recent weeks may have required more finesse.

The behind-the-scenes feuding between NBC and Walt Disney Co. is bursting into the open in this week's Time magazine. Reflecting his anger at tactics he contends Disney employed to pursue a top NBC executive, Don Ohlmeyer, president of NBC West Coast, describes Michael S. Ovitz, Disney's new president, as "the antichrist, and you can quote me on that."