Although the departure of Mr Ancier had been anticipated for several months, the decision to tap Mr Zucker to take over is something of a surprise. He has spent his entire career at NBC News and has never worked on the entertainment side of the business.

However, while Mr Zucker is a Hollywood outsider, he is highly regarded within NBC, and under his watch "Today" has become one of the most successful shows in television history, reaping about $300 million in annual revenue for the network. The morning show recently expanded to three hours and has improved on the previous ratings for its additional hour. Mr Zucker will relocate to Los Angeles from New York and assume his new post in January.

Gearing up for fall
Mr Ancier, who signed a four-year deal when he joined NBC from Time Warner Inc.'s WB Network 18 months ago, may end up with a production deal at the network. His exit package, according to people familiar with the pact, has a value in the neighbourhood of $10 million.

While the timing of Mr Ancier's departure may seem odd considering that NBC just won the key November sweeps ratings period for adults aged 18-49 and is in first place in that key demographic so far this season, it has had little luck with its new shows. Also, although the TV season isn't even three months old, the networks are already starting to develop shows for next fall, so NBC had to make a change now if it wanted Mr Zucker to play a strong role in setting next fall's schedule.

Although Hollywood observers question how well Mr Zucker will make the transition from producing a morning news show to building relationships with agents and producers as well as finding successful comedies and dramas, those familiar with him think he is up to the task.

"He is very smart and competitive and is not afraid to go after the other guy, as he has shown many times on the 'Today' show," said Mr Alan Berger, who has had many dealings with Mr Zucker as "Today" host Ms Katie Couric's agent and head of the television group at Mike Ovitz's Artists Management Group.

Newness as an advantage
Of course, Mr Zucker will have to meet the major players in Hollywood, and his newness may be an advantage in a town where shows often get on air less because of their quality than because of who's behind them. "I think it is a benefit that he has no history with everyone out here," Mr Berger said. "It makes him a fresh face and open to hearing new ideas."

NBC's problem programming nights include Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Among NBC's early casualties were "Titans," a cheesy soap opera from producer Mr Aaron Spelling; "Deadline," from "Law & Order" creator Mr Dick Wolf; and "The Michael Richards Show," starring the actor who played Kramer in the hit "Seinfeld." All were panned by critics and failed to bring in many viewers.

Only "Ed," a quirky drama about a lawyer who leaves his cheating wife and New York to return to his hometown in Ohio, has had any critical success, and it still doesn't have a big audience. Keeping NBC robust are its core veteran shows, with Thursday night remaining a stronghold, thanks to comedies "Friends" and "Will & Grace" and the drama "ER."

It wasn't just programming moves that hurt Mr Ancier's stay at the network. While he had successfully run the entertainment divisions of both the WB and News Corp.'s Fox network before taking over from Warren Littlefield at NBC in May 1999, neither of those networks is as big as NBC. The tasks of the entertainment head at NBC go far beyond prime time and include working in late night and daytime. NBC West Coast President Mr Scott Sassa, who hired Mr Ancier, said the decision to make a change "was not a programming decision," adding that there are "two jobs here, creating shows and running a very big business, and it wasn't the right fit for Mr Garth."

In an interview, Mr Ancier, 43 years old, said he didn't think he was given enough time to do the job but said he has no ill feelings toward Mr Sassa or the network, at which he began his career in 1979. "I'm only upset to the degree that this is something I always wanted to do and would like to have continued to do it," Mr Ancier said, adding that he thought he was leaving the network "in better shape than when I joined it. We weaned out weaker shows and are making sure our strong shows remain strong."

The Wall Street Journal