With Jeff Zucker’s replacement of Bob Wright at NBC Universal reportedly imminent, former General Electric chief Jack Welch has written a letter to the editor in New York Magazine softening the blow he delivered one week ago in the same publication.
In a Q&A last week, Welch responded to the question of why Zucker was still in his job by saying, “’Cause I’m retired. [Pause.] And I think they’ve got a little turnaround going on now. Heroes. And Sunday Night Football helps a lot.”
This week, Welch offers an olive branch, writing: “In the five-plus years since I retired from GE, I have answered every detailed question about the company with the happy words ‘I’m retired.’ In Arianne Cohen’s interview with me [“Intelligencer: The Jack & Suzy Show,” February 5], this response about Jeff Zucker’s tenure at NBC was not appropriate and certainly subject to misinterpretation. In fact, I am a huge supporter of Jeff Zucker and have been for fifteen years. I wish him success as he continues to lead the network’s recent comeback.”
