eBookDigital Original (Digital Original)
Related collections and offers
Overview
Named president and CEO of NBC at the age of 43, he faced a two-headed dragon: on one hand, distrust from the network people deeply skeptical of the “suit” from GE, their new corporate parent; and on the other, fiscal oversight demands from a cautious, conservative institution reluctant to invest heavily in a media business they didn’t understand. For the next 20 years, he managed to navigate the fine line between the two and in the process completely reinvent—and save—the network.
His name is Bob Wright. Under his leadership, a traditional network, struggling to survive a changing landscape, was transformed into a $45 billion cable and internet giant.
What does someone like that do when he retires? If he’s Bob Wright, he starts all over again. At almost the exact same time as Bob’s NBC reign was winding down, his grandson Christian was diagnosed with autism, a condition then poorly understood. Baffled by a lack of medical knowledge and community support, Bob and his wife Suzanne founded Autism Speaks, which in short order became the leading advocacy and research funding organization for this mysterious condition that so devastates families.
As the two story lines unfold in The Wright Stuff, readers will gradually see that both endeavors—revitalizing NBC and building Autism Speaks—reflect the same key management tenets that apply to any organization facing disruptive change.
A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to advance autism research.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780795346934 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | RosettaBooks |
| Publication date: | 10/01/2020 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 482 |
| File size: | 6 MB |
About the Author
Table of Contents
A Word from Bob 5
Editor's Note 7
Prologue: The First Grandchild 11
Act 1 2004: Annus Notabilis
1 The Biggest Deal of All 23
2 The Fierce Determination of a Grandmother 39
3 "OK-I'll Make It $25 Million." The Bernie Marcus Factor 41
4 Reflections on Success 47
Act 2 1969-2012: Corporate Transformation
5 First Days 55
6 Media Baptism by Fire: Cox Cable 64
7 This Thing Called Cable 75
8 Chuck Dolan, Cablevision, and Me 88
9 The Business of CNBC 103
10 Rebuilding After a Firestorm: The Dateline Fiasco 115
11 Creating the Must-See TV Money Machine 133
12 Travels with Johnny Carson 150
13 The Ted Turner Factor 159
14 Olympic Gold 170
15 NBC + Microsoft - MSNBC 183
16 Dante's Inferno: The Queen Mary 2 Became the Exxon Valdez! 201
17 Rebooting Network-Affiliate Relations 220
18 Leaving NBC and GE 234
19 Comcast Takes Over 248
20 My Roller-Coaster Ride with Jack Welch 261
21 Suzanne Wright: My Life's Partner 272
Act 3 2004-Present: Nonprofit Transformation
22 1 in 166: The Hidden Epidemic 291
23 Building from Scratch, Block by Block 300
24 Building Block #1: Global Expansion 304
25 Building Block #2: Political Muscle 310
26 Building Block #3: Grassroots Strength 320
27 Building Block #4: Business Principles 325
28 Building Block #5: Strategic Alliances 331
29 The Future for Autism Families 339
30 Vaccines and Other Controversies: A House Divided 358
31 MSSNG: From Beijing to Google 377
Epilogue: Christian at Fourteen 402
Appendix A NBCU
Vintage Wright: What Next? 414
Some Deal Hits and Misses 437
Where Are They Now? 444
Appendix B Autism
What We Learned About Autism 450
Autism Speaks 10th Anniversary Highlights 454
Acknowledgements 458
Index 465
What People are Saying About This
“Bob built the NBC I work at today, and there is no one for whom I have more respect or admiration. Without his vision, guidance and support, SNL would not still be on the air.”
Bob Wright and I both managed broadcast companies during an era of disruptive change, not unlike the one currently reshaping the media landscape. I watched him repeatedly adapt and reinvent a creative business in the face of new challenges to keep NBC competitive more than two decades. His tremendous contributions to the media industry are only surpassed by his passion and great work for Autism Speaks.
Bob Wright and I both managed broadcast companies during an era of disruptive change, not unlike the one currently reshaping the media landscape. I watched him repeatedly adapt and reinvent a creative business in the face of new challenges to keep NBC competitive more than two decades. His tremendous contributions to the media industry are only surpassed by his passion and great work for Autism Speaks.
“In Bob Wright, the media industry and Autism Speaks have both a terrific leader and a catalyst for change. To have Bob on your side is to have a transformative force in your corner.”
Bob Wright makes us realize what great leadership can do… transforming NBC into an extraordinarily international enterprise… [and] bringing to the attention of all, the serious problem of worldwide autism and its calamitous impact on the patients and the families who suffer equally with them.