With the announcement last week that long time MSNBC star Norah O’Donnell is jumping ship to CBS, many insiders are now asking what is going on over at the Peacock network? On air talent jumping between networks is nothing new but the sheer number of recent defectors both on air and off from NBC News and CNBC has to make you wonder whether there is something bigger at play here.

Fear not, America: your concerns over the fate of Katie Couric‘s television career will be addressed today. And she’s going to be fine, really, truly fine. In The New York Times, Bill Carter writes the deal, expected to include a syndicated talk show and a role for Couric on ABC News shows, will be worth millions. “One of the chief negotiators in pursuit of Ms. Couric, speaking anonymously last week because of the confidential nature of the talks, said, “We all know what we’re looking at with a successful syndicated show — $100 million to $300 million a year” in revenue. As host and co-owner, Ms. Couric’s own take each year could be tens of millions of dollars.

Technically, Katie Couric‘s out of work this morning. But don’t worry, she’s going to be just fine. The now former anchor of the CBS Evening News, who wrapped up five years in that role Thursday night, is reportedly close to inking a new contract that with ABC as host of an afternoon talk show. According to a report this morning in the Los Angeles Times, citing “people familiar with the negotiations,” Couric’s syndicated show would launch in the fall of 2012.

Couric’s contract with CBS ends June 6, and the Times notes CBS has the right to match any offer Couric receives before the contract expires:

About five years ago if you asked any regular Today Show watcher who would take over as co-host if Matt Lauer ever left, the answer would have been an easy one: David Gregory. The natural and smooth (and tall!) Gregory had been the fill in for Lauer just about every time Lauer took any time off. He even boogied live at the 30 Rock plaza to show off his “lighter side.” But these days an 8-11AM Today Show watcher who doesn’t follow politics closely (Gregory appears to be on pretty regularly in the first half hour talking politics) might very well say David who?

In the last week news broke that, after months of speculation, it appeared that Katie Couric would be leaving the anchor desk at CBS’ Evening News. Later in the week, rumors also spread that Matt Lauer would be leaving the anchor desk at TODAY, capping a week that saw lots of movement among television hosts. Bill Carter is now reporting that Couric is “pursuing the idea of her own syndicated talk show, possibly with her former “Today” show co-host, Matt Lauer.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, former NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker has been signed to produce a possible new spy series based on a series of books by Daniel Silva. Universal has picked up the rights to the books–ten of them, selling about 25 million copies–about Gabriel Allon, a former Israeli intelligence operative turned art restorer.

As NBC Universal nears the conclusion of its acquisition by Comcast, lifelong NBC employee and departing CEO Jeff Zucker may be headed not to another media gig, but into a slot at a private equity group.

As The Wall Street Journal reports this morning, Zucker says he hasn’t finalized his next step, but has been approached by private equity firms–though he hasn’t ruled out a whole host of other options, including a return to news, going into digital media, or even politics:

While NBC’s Jeff Zucker is afraid of analog dollars turning into digital pennies, Hulu CEO Jason Kilar is busy turning regular dollars into even more regular dollars. At the NewTeeVee conference in San Francisco today, he announced that Hulu will end the year with $240 million in revenue. That’s more than twice as much as it made last year.

>Conan O’Brien returns to television tonight, and the Taiwanese Next Media Animation is welcoming him back the only way they know how: with a new animated video featuring bong hits, a “self-pleasuring bear,” and Jeff Zucker getting run over by a moving vehicle.

Although Jeff Zucker had many successes during his long tenure time at NBC, in the wake of his dismissal by the soon-to-be bosses from Comcast, most people are focussing on his many, many failures. That’s just what the folks at Jimmy Kimmel Live did last night, and they did it through song! Using Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” the go-to tune for any musical parody involving listing, the bit features a Zucker lookalike gleefully singing the names of some of the worst NBC disasters of the Zucker era.

It’s official. NBCU and Comcast announced today that Steve Burke will replace Jeff Zucker when he departs after the Comcast merger takes place. Burke is currently the COO of Comcast and formerly president of Comcast Cable. Nikki Finke, meanwhile, would like you to know she’s been predicting it all along.

Bill Carter at the NY Times is reporting that Jeff Zucker is leaving NBC Universal, where he has been serving as Chief Executive for the better part of the last decade.

As “The Apprentice” begins its 10th season on Thursday night, it’s embarking on new territory: the tough economy. Since the show’s past few seasons have been “celebrity” versions, the show hasn’t had the same focus on ambitious, hardworking professionals trying to push forward their careers. So Donald Trump and producer Mark Burnett are returning the show to its roots in hopes of helping one person turn his or her career around during hard times.

Last week we introduced you to probable CNN host Piers Morgan, looking at his history as an interviewer on British TV.

This week it’s looking even more probable – and now NBCU President and CEO Jeff Zucker is weighing in on Morning Joe.

Seems like it was year’s ago that the nation was breathlessly waiting for resolution to NBC’s late night line-up drama, that unfolded in a wonderfully entertaining way. Not only did a healthy debate emerge, but there is still a reasonable and ongoing discussion on who were the winners and losers of the whole affair. But no one took it on the chin harder than NBC chief Jeff Zucker, who was pretty much railed for what was fairly seen as his responsibility. But as great a story as that was, it obfuscated a larger narrative about the head of NBC-Universal: he’s had an uncanny knack for nurturing very successful cable channels that have kept his company relatively strong and vibrant.

It was a big day on the set of “Meet The Press” this past Sunday, for two reasons: It marked the beginning of the broadcast in HD, and it was the first show to be shot on the show’s brand-new set. The move signaled a new era – and was yet another step away from the old one, and former host Tim Russert.

Last February, Jeff Zucker, the president and CEO of NBC Universal was on Joe Scarborough’s radio show and made an offhand comment about running for office one day. Although much speculation was made in the press about it at the time, it wasn’t until this week that Washington Post columnist Howard Kurtz decided to quiz him about it. Zucker confirmed the earlier suggestions; he may run for office in New York one day.

Fox Business Network correspondent Charlie Gasparino was on the air yesterday to discuss some recent financial findings about his former employer, NBC.

After a little initial awkwardness (“I used to work there,” he said), he got to the negative news for NBC – and positive news for NBC CEO Jeff Zucker.

A few weeks ago, Mediaite reported that Meet the Press has pledged to diversify its panels of guests and commentators. So how are they doing? Well, the show has gone four weeks in a row where African American men were featured on the show. This week’s show will actually go one better: an African American guest and an African American journalist on the roundtable.

After Jeff Zucker‘s trip to the Congressional woodshed at a House Judicial Affairs Committee meeting this week over lack of racial diversity at NBC, is Meet the Press about to take another stab at diversifying its panels and newsmakers?

Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn, Shani Davis…your new American Idols!

For the first time in six years, American Idol did not finish #1 in the ratings – losing last night to NBC’s Olympics coverage that featured some big name Americans winning gold. The win had NBCU President Jeff Zucker bragging early this morning.

NBC had been counting on the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics to defibrillate its faltering ratings and break the pattern of myopia and ineptitude, culminating in the Late Night Wars, that has marked Jeff Zucker’s tenure as CEO. The president of NBC’s sports division, Dick Ebersol, now finds himself the author and guarantor of another ordeal for NBC – one that the network itself concedes may cost them upwards of $250 million.

Last night I was on the Joy Behar Show to discuss the Conan-Leno-NBC-Late-Night kerfuffle. Joy spoke first with Bill Carter of the New York Times, pretty much the go-to expert on all things late night thanks to his seminal — and still relevant! — book The Late Shift. Following Carter’s comments (he thinks NBC and [...]

There’s a weird silver lining to Conan O’Brien‘s situation: He’s never been so beloved. The support he’s enjoyed has been ridiculous — there were nationwide rallies, for God’s sake, and he now has attack dogs taking the nastier shots for him (see: Letterman, the Internet). Which has left him — and his staff — free to sort of…enjoy this.

Jeff Zucker was on Charlie Rose last night, somewhere between Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien on the clock — though clearly not between them in allegiance. Lest anyone think that an 11th hour reprieve for Conan is possible — dressing in orange for rallies can only do so much — It seems clear that Zucker has moved on.