NBC sends Donald Trump a warning
The network's entertainment unit says it'll take action if the celebrity businessman 'does things that cross a line.'
As the host of NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice," real estate developer Donald Trump walks a fine line between generating buzz -- and viewers -- and creating animosity.
Now, Trump might want to make sure he keeps on the "buzz" side of the equation, with Comcast's (CMCSA) NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt saying the network will take action if he "becomes somehow hurtful and says or does things that cross a line," according to a report in Deadline.com.
Some might say Trump has already stepped over the line: a petition started last year aimed at urging Macy's (M) to sever ties with Trump has gained almost 680,000 signatures.
According to the petition, Trump has "engaged in sexist behavior" and "perpetuated the racially charged birther conspiracy," among its complaints. The same campaign, from the liberal group MoveOn.org, last month hired a mobile billboard reading "Dump Trump" to circle Macy's corporate headquarters.
Macy's has sidestepped the issue, with chief executive Terry Lundgren noting that the perfume, clothing and other merchandise it sells bearing Trump's name "are not representative of any political position," according to the New York Daily News.
So far, it seems Trump is on NBC's good side. The network renewed his show, with "Celebrity Apprentice" returning on March 3 for an all-star edition. (The star power in the newest edition of Trump's long-running show is debatable, relying on competitors from the program's fast five seasons. They include actors Stephen Baldwin and Gary Busey and musicians Dee Snider and Bret Michaels.)
Cracks might be showing in Trump's ratings pull, however. In May, "Celebrity Apprentice" drew the program's lowest-rated finale episode, with only 6.8 million viewers tuning in. That's a far cry from the 12.1 million viewers who watched the show's finale in 2008, when Piers Morgan won the competition.
Despite the flagging ratings, "Celebrity Apprentice" is still a workhorse for NBC -- and Greenblatt adds that the network doesn't think Trump has crossed that line yet.
"He has his political belief system but I really don’t think what he’s doing in his personal life is going to corrupt what he’s doing on the show," Greenblatt said. He spoke at the Television Critics Association tour, held this week in California.
He added, referring to Trump's toying with the idea of running for president in the last election, "We talked him out of running for president, wasn't that good enough?"
More on Money Now
| Tags: | PoliticsTelevision |
How about the Huffinton-Puffington Post? These sorry a$$holes had a lead story, "NEIL ARMSTRONG LIED!" His brother supposedly wrote the words, "One small step for man." Hey Puffball! Puff on this!! Who gives a crap who wrote the words? Neil's computer had gone out and he set the lander down manually! And, with only 30 seconds of fuel left.! Talk about balls! When his foot touched the surface of the Moon, that was really the most Historical and amazing step in the History of all Mankind. He really didn't need to say anything! To call him a liar is really low-life! Good Grief!!
All of the Liberal rags, including NBC, are good for nothing but toilet paper! Or, maybe to light your fireplace and campfire.
DATA PROVIDERS
Copyright © 2013 Microsoft. All rights reserved.
Quotes are real-time for NASDAQ, NYSE and AMEX. See delay times for other exchanges.
Fundamental company data and historical chart data provided by Thomson Reuters (click for restrictions). Real-time quotes provided by BATS Exchange. Real-time index quotes and delayed quotes supplied by Interactive Data Real-Time Services. Fund summary, fund performance and dividend data provided by Morningstar Inc. Analyst recommendations provided by Zacks Investment Research. StockScouter data provided by Verus Analytics. IPO data provided by Hoover's Inc. Index membership data provided by SIX Financial Information.
Japanese stock price data provided by Nomura Research Institute Ltd.; quotes delayed 20 minutes. Canadian fund data provided by CANNEX Financial Exchanges Ltd.
RECENT POSTS
Tired of constantly dying batteries, she came up with a device that could revolutionize energy storage -- and won $50,000 from Intel.
- Detroit in hot water over proposal to sell art
- Sears spirals toward oblivion
- Why aren't heads rolling at the IRS?
- Do we pay attention to roads and bridges now?
- Yahoo may be going after Hulu
- Apple's first computer could fetch $450,000
- AT&T adds sneaky fee onto its wireless bills
- Soaring ER use adds more pain to health costs
- Netflix gets 'Arrested Development' stars cheap
MARKET UPDATE
[BRIEFING.COM] Stocks entered the weekend on a mixed note as the S&P 500 shed 0.1% while the Dow ended with a gain of 0.1%.
The major averages began the day on a lower note as nine of ten sectors saw losses of more than 0.5%.
The consumer staples sector was the lone exception as the group spent the entire day in positive territory thanks to the relative strength of Dow component Procter & Gamble (PG 81.89, +3.19). The second-largest staple stock advanced ... More
More Market News
TOP STOCKS
Try as the bears might, they couldn't break US stocks. But investors still face frothy prices and considerable headwinds.
MSN MONEY'S
- Shared
- Commented
- Viewed
