NBC entertainment chief Bob Greenblatt is looking to slim down his bloated marketing department as part of an overhaul of the struggling Peacock Network, The Post has learned.
In the coming weeks, NBC Entertainment is set to undergo a revamp that will result in scores of pink slips across marketing, promotions and publicity, sources close to the situation said.
While it’s unclear exactly where the ax will fall, sources said the layoffs will affect roughly 2 percent of staffers at the entertainment division.
The cuts follow recent moves by Greenblatt — who is credited with developing a successful slate of original shows during his tenure at Showtime — to bring in former colleagues to fill his executives ranks.
In August, Greenblatt drafted Len Fogge, the former executive vice president of creative marketing at Showtime, as the president of marketing at NBC.
Fogge is now working on a restructuring of the marketing department, which is responsible for promoting primetime, daytime and late night programming for the network.
Greenblatt also brought in a new public relations chief, Richard Licata, who hailed from Showtime. Licata is looking to downsize the number of publicists at NBC, sources said.
Already, news of the impending pink slips is ruffling feathers at the Peacock Network, especially because Greenblatt spent big to market his new primetime show “Smash.” NBC dished out an estimated $25 million to promote the musical drama about backstage Broadway
“We launched the show and now we’re getting fired,” one NBC executive complained to friends, according to sources.
Apparently, NBC is so desperate for the show to be a hit that it left ad dollars on the table in order to run at least a dozen promotional spots during the Super Bowl. One media buyer said he offered close to $3 million to get a last-minute spot during the big game but was declined.
“Smash” did well on its initial outing this week, garnering a 3.8 rating among viewers aged 18-to-49 and 11.5 million total viewers on Monday night.
“Smash” isn’t the only show getting the big money treatment. NBC also spent $16 million drafting Howard Stern to appear on “America’s Got Talent.” Piers Morgan, who exited for CNN, was earning a couple of million.
“Company policy is not to comment on personnel matters,” said an NBC Entertainment spokeswoman.
Meanwhile, Greenblatt may not be the only one at NBC to wield the ax.
Sources said NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke met with executives at NBC News and business news network CNBC within the past few weeks asking them to find some $10 million in cost savings.
Several insiders downplayed the notion of cost cutting and stressed that Burke is looking for all divisions to work together more closely.
Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, will report fourth-quarter and full-year results on Feb. 15.