Execs start seeing benefits of new media

Although major networks are losing viewers, NBC Universal Television Group CEO Jeff Zucker told Credit Suisse that his company will end 2006 with as much as $400 million in revenue from its digital operations.

"We expect that to be $1 billion by 2009," Zucker says.

NBC's learning a lot from public response to its new prime-time hit, Heroes.

The week after it's on NBC, he says, "It repeats twice (on the Sci-Fi Channel). The next morning after it airs on NBC, it's available on NBC.com — the streaming of Heroes has been exceptional. It plays there free, with advertising. Then, of course, it's available for … sell-through on iTunes, where it's also been among the top three performers."