NBC SPARES ONLINE EFFORTS NETWORK DEDICATED TO WEB SEGMENT.

Byline: VALERIE KUKLENSKI Staff Writer

While NBC is paring the staff of its news and entertainment divisions, its online efforts have been spared as the network focuses on innovative ways to promote its shows and attract younger viewers.

Just two days before announcing its major spending cuts -- 700 jobs to save $750 million -- NBC Universal boasted about its two-week-old NBC Rewind video stream making nbc.com the most visited broadcast Web site, and it announced a new executive at its iVillage stable of online properties.

The company's dedication to its online segment was to be expected, given that Jeff Zucker, chief executive officer of NBC Universal Television Group, spent significant time in May's fall programming announcement talking up the network site's new video offerings.

On nbc.com, viewers can watch two-minute recaps or entire episodes of series within hours after they have been broadcast. It also has some Web-only programming, such as Conan O'Brien's tongue-in-cheek superhero cartoon, ``Pale Force,'' interactive components for the new game show ``1 vs. 100'' and taped confessions of misdeeds from ``My Name Is Earl'' fans.

But industry observers say NBC may be sacrificing its best-known commodity for new media ventures.

Robert Thompson, director of Syracuse University's Center for the Study of Popular Television, interpreted the NBCU 2.0 announcement as ``almost like they're redefining the network.''

``(Online distribution) is a path that ought to be gone down very, very carefully,'' he said.

``There's no question a new medium is emerging, whatever you call it. Any medium that allows you to watch at work and get away with it is the way to go.

``Every network has to come up with a business model that incorporates online,'' Thompson said. ``But the bottom line is still content. In these early days of direct-to-broadband, the network that is going to succeed at that is the network that is doing really well on the air.

``They don't have a single Top 10 hit right now,'' he added.

Mediaweek television columnist Marc Berman said NBC's attention to online, cable and cross-promotion efforts can dilute the energy it's giving to network programming.

``Right now they're in such bad shape in primetime, they need to deal with that first,'' he said. ```Heroes' is a hit, (NFL) football's doing OK, the `Law & Order' shows are holding their own, `ER' is holding its own. But they have more challenges than they have positives.''

Another downside is Web viewing's impact on local stations, such as network-owned KNBC. They get no ad revenue from the network's online replays, and because of Web content they may be losing over-the-air viewers leading into their local newscasts.

``The people who will lose the most in this are the poor affiliates,'' Thompson said. ``If I were a manager at a station and I were asked to make a 10-year plan, I'm not sure I'd go past six years.''

With online episode viewing still a new development, networks are able to track only total page views, not demographic data that most advertisers need to home in on their customers. Without verifiable information, advertisers most likely are not paying top rates yet for Web commercials.

Berman recalled Zucker as the network chief most excited last spring about Internet tie-ins for his coming broadcast season. His optimism gave no real hint of the slashing he would be forced to implement five months later.

``Back in May, I don't think he anticipated still being in such bad shape,'' Berman said.

valerie.kuklenski(at)dailynews.com

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(color) Jeff Zucker, CEO of NBC Universal Television Group, spent the spring talking up the network Web site's new video offerings.

Louis Lanzano/Associated Press