NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker is pooh-poohing CBS's assertion that it doesn't expect to win in the ratings battle between its Survivor telecast tonight (Thursday) and a 40-minute version of Friends followed by a 20-minute version of Saturday Night Live. Zucker told today's New York Post: "Our internal estimates say Survivor is going to win this hour. If CBS doesn't do as well, then they've lowered expectations. If they go in and kick our asses after lowering the expectations -- they'll look like heroes." Meanwhile, SNL producer Lorne Michaels has told USA Today: "The great part for us being live is we could actually let our viewers know who got thrown off Survivor."

Source: Studio Briefing