Calling it an "anachronistic practice," NBC on Thursday canceled its annual affiliates meeting, replacing it with a get-together at the NAB convention and by two regional meetings late in the year. In a letter to the affiliates, NBC maintained that the decision "does not represent a disengagement from the affiliate body."

Last year's affiliate meeting in Las Vegas was marked by dissension over programming exclusivity -- with several affiliates expressing anger over the network's decision to allow its cable outlets and PAX-TV to rebroadcast certain programs. In Thursday's letter, which was signed by NBC-TV president Randy Falco and affiliate relations chief John Damiano, the network indicated that the costs of staging the annual convention figured in its decision. "Given our financial goals and the current uncertain economic environment, we thought it would be best to replace this annual gathering with alternatives that enable us to focus with new intensity on growing our respective businesses."

Source: Studio Briefing