Steve Burke

NBCUniversal Chief Executive Steve Burke said Comcast Corp. inherited a media company that was an industry laggard in key financial measures, particularly at the NBC broadcast network. The NBC broadcast network earns $500 million to $1 billion less each year than industry leaders CBS, ABC and Fox Broadcasting, Burke said Wednesday morning at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference in Beverly Hills. Burke's comments shed light on Comcast Corp.'s investment strategy when it acquired controlling interest in NBCUniversal more than two years ago from longtime media owner General Electric Co.  PHOTOS: Hollywood backlot moments   Comcast executives have long believed that they could run NBCUniversal much better than GE's management team did. The early results suggest that Comcast was right.

After the coffee. Before catching up on "Mad Men. " The Skinny: I had trouble concentrating on "Mad Men" last night so rather than miss a detail, I turned off the TV. Now I just have to avoid all social media until I finish the episode. We have a pretty eclectic mix of stories today. Not only is there the box-office recap, but also profiles of Comcast insider David Cohen and FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. In addition, the Washington Post had a very interesting story on "Meet the Press.

Comcast Corp. has increased the salary of NBCUniversal Chief Executive Steve Burke and extended his tenure through August 2018.  The Philadelphia-based cable TV giant on Friday said it has extended Burke's employment contract for five years and provided him with a nearly 20% bump in base salary to $2.6 million, up from $2.2 million, effective Sept. 1. Comcast cited Burke's efforts to sharpen NBCUniversal's business strategy, including making beneficial acquisitions and dramatically improving the company's financial performance, as reasons to renew his contract.

NBCUniversal Chief Executive Steve Burke said Comcast Corp. inherited a media company that was an industry laggard in key financial measures, particularly at the NBC broadcast network. The NBC broadcast network earns $500 million to $1 billion less each year than industry leaders CBS, ABC and Fox Broadcasting, Burke said Wednesday morning at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference in Beverly Hills. Burke's comments shed light on Comcast Corp.'s investment strategy when it acquired controlling interest in NBCUniversal more than two years ago from longtime media owner General Electric Co.  PHOTOS: Hollywood backlot moments   Comcast executives have long believed that they could run NBCUniversal much better than GE's management team did. The early results suggest that Comcast was right.

Comcast Corp.'s plan to take control of entertainment giant NBC Universal -- expected to be announced this morning -- will crown Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts as Hollywood's newest mogul, even though Roberts lives and works in Philadelphia. But the complex task of meshing the disparate businesses into a single, efficient company will fall to Roberts' chief lieutenant, Steve Burke. Burke, Comcast's chief operating officer, will be charged with running a transformed company.

Comcast Corp. unveiled its new management lineup for NBC Universal on Thursday, ending months of anticipation and behind-the-scenes jockeying. Although the new executive team is ready, the two companies now must wait for federal regulators to approve the Philadelphia cable company's takeover of NBC Universal. The consent of the U.S. Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission is expected next month or early next year. Comcast Chief Operating Officer Steve Burke, who will replace Jeff Zucker as NBC Universal chief executive when the deal closes, created a layered structure with seven executives holding the title of chairman.

When Comcast Corp.'s Steve Burke assembled his new executive team for NBC Universal, he followed an old management maxim: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Burke ? who will become chief executive of NBC Universal when the Philadelphia-based cable giant assumes control of the company, most likely early next year ? nonetheless will be spending a lot of time trying to fix one part of the sprawling media enterprise that is broken: the NBC broadcast network. "Turning around the broadcast network will be one of the top priorities," said Matthew Harrigan, media analyst with Wunderlich Securities.

In the NBC sitcom "30 Rock," the self-absorbed television chief executive, played by Alec Baldwin, obsesses over what will happen to his career when his company ? NBC ? is taken over by Kabletown, a fictional cable systems operator from Philadelphia. On Friday the real-life cable company from Philadelphia ? Comcast Corp. ? assumes control of NBC Universal, the real-life entertainment colossus that is featured in the show. And while Steve Burke, the new chief executive of NBC Universal, is a fan of "30 Rock," one of his priorities will be to reform the NBC Universal corporate culture, one that has condoned politicking and aggrandizement, the very workplace parodied by the sitcom.

Daniel Burke, considered one of the architects of the modern television industry and a former president and chief executive of Capital Cities/ABC, died Wednesday. He was 82. He died at his home in Rye, N.Y., of complications from type 1 diabetes, according to his family. Burke spent more than 30 years at CapCities, rising from manager of its television station in Albany, N.Y., to chief executive. Working closely with Tom Murphy, the chairman of CapCities, the duo transformed the company from a handful of TV stations into a broadcasting and publishing giant.

Comcast Corp. has made an offer to renew the contract of longtime Universal Studios chief Ron Meyer — a potential vote of confidence that could quell speculation in Hollywood that his days in the job are numbered under the studio's new ownership by the cable giant. But the two sides have yet to reach an agreement. A key sticking point in the negotiations is how long Meyer's contract would be extended beyond its current expiration in 2012. Comcast was offering a shorter extension than the executive would like, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity because of the confidentiality of the talks.

Comcast Corp. has increased the salary of NBCUniversal Chief Executive Steve Burke and extended his tenure through August 2018.  The Philadelphia-based cable TV giant on Friday said it has extended Burke's employment contract for five years and provided him with a nearly 20% bump in base salary to $2.6 million, up from $2.2 million, effective Sept. 1. Comcast cited Burke's efforts to sharpen NBCUniversal's business strategy, including making beneficial acquisitions and dramatically improving the company's financial performance, as reasons to renew his contract.

Acknowledging that the movie business is "not for the faint of heart," NBCUniversal Chief Executive Steve Burke said he'd like to see more animation  and more franchise films out of Universal in the years ahead. "We've had our ups and downs for the last 18 months," Burke said at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Investor Conference in Beverly Hills on Thursday. Among Universal's disappointments this year were "Battleship" and "The Five-Year Engagement. " But "Ted" was a smash and "The Lorax" and "The Bourne Legacy" delivered solid numbers.

Comcast Corp.'s highest-paid executives — Chief Executive Brian Roberts and NBCUniversal chief Steve Burke — experienced compensation deflation last year. Roberts' pay package shrank 13.3% in 2011 to $26.9 million. That included a performance-based cash bonus of $5.5 million for the 52-year-old executive. Meanwhile, Burke's compensation dropped a whopping 32% to $23.7 million, which included a performance bonus of $6.7 million. The 53-year-old executive's amount fell dramatically last year, as it was the first time in three years that he did not collect a signing bonus.

Daniel Burke, considered one of the architects of the modern television industry and a former president and chief executive of Capital Cities/ABC, died Wednesday. He was 82. He died at his home in Rye, N.Y., of complications from type 1 diabetes, according to his family. Burke spent more than 30 years at CapCities, rising from manager of its television station in Albany, N.Y., to chief executive. Working closely with Tom Murphy, the chairman of CapCities, the duo transformed the company from a handful of TV stations into a broadcasting and publishing giant.

Cable giant Comcast Corp. isn't changing the channel at Universal Studios. Universal President Ron Meyer has signed a new contract with his bosses at Comcast that will extend his tenure until December, 2015. His previous deal had been set to expire at the end of 2012. The extension is a vote of confidence by Comcast, which acquired the studio's parent company, NBCUniversal, in January. Many people in Hollywood had speculated that the new owner might seek to make a management change at Universal given the poor performance of its movie division over the last two years with a string of costly flops such as "Land of the Lost" and "The Wolfman.

As a teen, Mark Lazarus went to the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y., where the U.S. hockey team made history with its "Miracle on Ice" upset of the Soviet Union and eventual gold medal win. Now, some 30 years later, Lazarus — as the new head of NBC Sports Group — is flying off to Lausanne, Switzerland, to spearhead the network's negotiations for rights to the 2014 and 2016 Olympics next week. Joining him will be top executives from NBC and parent company Comcast Corp., the cable giant that five months ago took control of NBCUniversal from General Electric Co. That Lazarus finds himself in such a key role is no surprise to those who have followed his career or know his family.

Cable giant Comcast Corp. isn't changing the channel at Universal Studios. Universal President Ron Meyer has signed a new contract with his bosses at Comcast that will extend his tenure until December, 2015. His previous deal had been set to expire at the end of 2012. The extension is a vote of confidence by Comcast, which acquired the studio's parent company, NBCUniversal, in January. Many people in Hollywood had speculated that the new owner might seek to make a management change at Universal given the poor performance of its movie division over the last two years with a string of costly flops such as "Land of the Lost" and "The Wolfman.

Comcast Corp.'s second-in-command, Steve Burke, will become chief executive of NBC Universal when the merger of the entertainment assets of Comcast and General Electric Co. is complete, the two companies announced Sunday. Burke, 52, will succeed Jeff Zucker, 45, who said Friday that he would step down when Philadelphia-based Comcast assumes control of NBC Universal, which is expected to happen late this year or early 2011. The two companies are awaiting the federal government's approval of their $30-billion transaction.

Comcast Corp. has made an offer to renew the contract of longtime Universal Studios chief Ron Meyer — a potential vote of confidence that could quell speculation in Hollywood that his days in the job are numbered under the studio's new ownership by the cable giant. But the two sides have yet to reach an agreement. A key sticking point in the negotiations is how long Meyer's contract would be extended beyond its current expiration in 2012. Comcast was offering a shorter extension than the executive would like, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity because of the confidentiality of the talks.

Now that it has become a Hollywood powerhouse, Comcast Corp. will spend an extra $300 million this year for television programming to revive its newly acquired NBC broadcast network and keep the company's cable channels humming. NBCUniversal Chief Executive Steve Burke on Wednesday renewed Comcast's long-standing pledge to invest millions of dollars more for television programming than the media company's former majority owner, General Electric Co., had been spending. In late January, Comcast acquired a 51% stake in NBCUniversal and GE became a minority partner.