Bob Greenblatt is staying put at NBC.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the entertainment chairman has officially extended his contract through 2017.
"There is something to be said for stability," an NBC source told THR. "There's no school where you learn to become the head of a network -- and it's a hard job, a skill set that takes a lot to learn. [NBCUniversal president/CEO Steve] Burke probably felt, 'He spent his first three years learning, [so] let's take advantage of the job skills.' "
The network has yet to comment on Greenblatt's contract extension.
Robert Greenblatt joined NBCUniversal in January 2011 as Chairman, NBC Entertainment and reports to Steve Burke. In his role, he is responsible for all aspects of primetime, late night, and scripted daytime programming, business affairs, marketing, public relations, scheduling, West Coast research, and digital operations. He also oversees Universal Television, which was re-established as a stand-alone studio in 2011.
As NBC Entertainment's chief executive, Greenblatt launched television's newest phenomenon, "The Voice," which has established itself as the dominant show in the key adult 18-49 demographic on both Monday and Tuesday nights. With the strength of "The Voice" combining with such scripted successes as "Parenthood," "Grimm," "Revolution" and "Chicago Fire," NBC was the #1 broadcast network in the Fall 2012 and won its first November sweep since 2003. And NBC completed the 2012-13 season ranking within a tenth of a rating point of second place, the network's most competitive finish in nine years. Including this summer's ratings, NBC is currently tied with FBC at #2 in the period from September 2012 to the present.
Under Greenblatt's supervision, Universal Television will be producing more than 20 series this coming season, for networks including NBC, FBC, and A&E, as well as first-run syndication. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" and "The Mindy Project" are produced for FBC and basic cable series "Bates Motel" is produced for A&E. Both "The Mindy Project" and "Bates Motel" were renewed for second seasons.
Greenblatt was most recently President of Entertainment for Showtime Networks, Inc., where he supervised a slate of original programming that dramatically altered the Showtime brand and re-positioned the company as a leader in premium cable television. Over his seven-year tenure, the audience subscription base increased 52% - to a then-record high of 19 million subscribers in 2010 - and profitability more than doubled.
At Showtime, he was responsible for such hits as "Weeds," "Dexter," "Shameless," "The Borgias," "Episodes," "Nurse Jackie," "The Tudors," "Californication," "United States of Tara," "The Big C," "This American Life," and "Tracey Ullman's State of the Union," among others. These shows and their outstanding actors were consistently honored with multiple Golden Globe, Emmy, AFI, SAG, DGA, PGA, WGA and Peabody Awards; and in 2010 alone, they collectively garnered a record-breaking number of both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the network.
Prior to Showtime, Greenblatt was an award-winning producer of over a dozen series on various networks. The highlight of those was "Six Feet Under," for which he was awarded the 2002 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Drama Series. It also garnered dozens of Emmy Award nominations, including four for Outstanding Drama Series, and it won the 2003 Producers Guild Award, three GLAAD Media Awards and the George Foster Peabody Award. He also produced two Emmy-nominated miniseries: "Elvis" for CBS (starring Golden Globe winner Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and Gregory Nava's "American Family" for PBS.
Greenblatt began his television career at the Fox Broadcasting Company where he ran primetime programming from 1992-1997 and developed such memorable shows as the original "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Melrose Place," "The X-Files," "Party of Five," "Ally McBeal" and "King of the Hill," in addition to the pilots for "The Sopranos" and "Dawson's Creek."
As a Broadway producer, he produced the Tony Award-nominated musical adaptation of the film "9 to 5" in 2009 which starred Allison Janney (Drama Desk Award winner) and featured a score by Dolly Parton.
In 2011, he received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award from GLAAD. Greenblatt is a member of the Broadway League of Theatrical Producers, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and the Producers Guild of America.
