NBCUniversal’s about-face last year on severing ties with GOP front-runner Donald Trump came after it realized the billionaire businessman’s 2016 presidential campaign had become a legitimate phenomenon, according to network executives.
“[T]he poll numbers are astounding, and he’s everywhere,” NBC’s entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt told reporters. “He’s on every news show, every morning show, every nightly show, every cable news show.”
NBCUniversal made a big show last summer of announcing that it had cut all business ties with Trump after he said Mexico was sending degenerate drug dealers and rapists to the United States.
“At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values,” a spokesperson said at the time, explaining that it couldn’t idly stand by as the former reality TV star besmirched all illegal immigrants. “Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump.”
Trump brushed off the news by accusing the network of weakness. “NBC is weak, and like everybody else is trying to be politically correct — that is why our country is in serious trouble,” his team told the Examiner last year.
Not too long after NBC said it had cut business ties with Trump, the network announced it had scheduled him to host a Nov. 7 episode of “Saturday Night Live.” And since then, the GOP front-runner has also appeared on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
NBC executives maintained they haven’t flip-flopped on cutting ties with Trump, according to Entertainment Weekly. They explained that hosting the Republican candidate on various television programs isn’t the same as partnering with him on business ventures.
“He was on ‘SNL’ and I think that reconciles quite easily with — we’re not in business with him, but he’s one of the most, love it or not, one of the most important political figures of our time, and he’s on our shows,” Greenblatt said.
“Is that ‘being in business’ with us?” he asked. “We book thousands of guests on shows year round … I don’t think the public was confused as much as the press and some special interest groups.”
NBC programming president Jennifer Salke echoed these sentiments, saying also that they’re merely responding to consumer demand.
“Those shows have a responsibility to bring on relevant guests whether you love them or hate them, and they’re going for that — especially ‘SNL,'” Salke said.
Pressed by a critic to explain how NBCUniversal reconciles its announcement that it had cut ties with Trump with hosting him on late night shows, alternative programming chief Paul Telegdy also said they’re just giving people what they want.
“That doesn’t prevent you from booking someone who’s in the public eye on a news program or an entertainment program, if they’re either newsworthy or if you think they’re entertaining,” he said.
“Does that answer the Donald Trump question? It is as clear to us and as it is to the people who produce our news and our entertainment programs, what that division is,” he added.
