Runway Catfight
Jeff Zucker, president and CEO of NBC Universal, and Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Co. have their claws out in a public dispute over the hit Bravo TV show “Project Runway”, on which contestants compete for a spread in Elle magazine. The deal apparently went sour when Weinstein sold the show to Lifetime without giving NBC a chance to match the offer. In return, NBC is suing The Weinstein Co. for breach of contract. Zucker testified that Weinstein gave a verbal promise of a right of first refusal to match any offer that Weinstein received to move the program to a competing network. Weinstein, who considers the court meeting a “divorce proceeding”, vigorously disputed Zucker’s testimony saying “I’d rather cut off my arm than give them a right of a first refusal.” The company wanted to cut ties with Bravo after season three because the network copied the Runway format with shows like “Top Chef” and “Shear Genius”, but refused to pay increased license fees. MediaWeek (July 17, 2008)
Tags: Bravo, Elle, Lifetime, NBC Universal, Project Runway, The Weinstein Co., Weinstein, Zucker