GE And NBC Universal Stifling Media Coverage?

Is GE Chairman Jeff Immelt trying to stifle coverage of his company by other media outlets? Nikki Finke thinks so and weaves a pretty compelling story.

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/exclusive-genbcu-trying-to-stifle-other-medias-coverage-of-company-immelt-banned-nielsen-media-over-ge-nbcu-obama-story-zucker-followed-orders-nbc-universal-didnt-cooperate-with-the-hollywood

"According to my sources inside and outside Nielsen Business Media, The Hollywood Reporter trade publication ran a story dated April 22nd and updated on April 24th covering the "drama" at the most recent GE shareholders meeting in Orlando. THR's West Coast Business Editor Paul Bond wasn't sent to the meeting, but he interviewed about half a dozen people who'd been inside the shareholders meeting and told him what transpired (see below). Bond's THR story focused on the attempts by stockholders and Fox News Channel and other media to find out whether or not GE Chairman/CEO Jeffrey Immelt ordered his news operations to be less critical of President Obama and his policies.

Bond's story was immediately picked up by The Drudge Report under the headline "GE shareholders outraged over MSNBC bias; Microphone cut off." It became a widely posted news story on conservative and liberal and media websites everywhere. That's when, sources inside and outside Nielsen Business Media tell me, GE Chairman Jeff Immelt ordered a GE company-wide ban on all of The Hollywood Reporter's parent company Nielsen: advertising, editorial, the works. After a few days, the ban was reduced to GE's NBC Universal which chief Jeff Zucker carried out against Nielsen Business Media's The Hollywood Reporter and lasted six weeks. My NBC Universal sources believe the ban was lifted yesterday.

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