Questions Swirl About NBCUniversal’s Future After C.E.O.’s Shocking Firing
“I am solely focused on making amends to them,” Mr. Shell said.
Comcast is still looking into elements of Ms. Gamble’s complaint related to sexual discrimination, according to two people familiar with the investigation.
Comcast declined to comment on the investigation. Regarding the future of Comcast’s leadership, a spokeswoman referred The New York Times to remarks made by Mr. Roberts on Thursday’s first-quarter earnings call, calling Mr. Cavanagh “a fantastic executive and operator.”
Mr. Roberts has sought to reassure investors since Mr. Shell’s departure. On the earnings call on Thursday, he made a brief statement in support of Mr. Cavanagh and NBCUniversal’s executives. He praised NBCUniversal’s bench of veteran leaders, and said Mr. Cavanagh would “step in at the helm” of the company while remaining president of Comcast after a “tough moment.”
Comcast’s share price rose about 10 percent after the company’s earnings call on Thursday.
In a show of support, Mr. Roberts joined Mr. Cavanagh in New York for NBCUniversal’s executive committee meeting, which Mr. Shell used to run, according to three people with knowledge of the gathering. During the meeting, Mr. Cavanagh reassured assembled leaders that he would be there for the foreseeable future. Next week, Mr. Cavanagh is expected to head out to Los Angeles to meet with West Coast executives.
There is a consensus among executives at NBCUniversal that Mr. Shell’s departure will not greatly affect the company’s TV, film and news assets in the short term. Mr. Shell’s biggest decisions needed approval from Mr. Cavanagh and Mr. Roberts, who have final say on the big issues facing the company. “I don’t think the business is going to miss a beat,” Mr. Cavanagh said during the earnings call.
Source: The New York Times
