NBC hasn’t fired Donald Trump – yet.
But the network hasn’t renewed his show “The Apprentice” for next season, and Trump himself said he’ll make a decision in the coming weeks if he even wants to do it again.
“The Apprentice” was not on NBC’s 2007-08 schedule released Monday, though NBC officials refused to say it was canceled.
“The guy has a certain magic,” NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly said of Trump, whose catch phrase “You’re fired” was added to the lexcion. “We love him, we want to stay in business with him.”
NBC has until June 1 to renew “The Apprentice,” or the show and Trump become free agents.
There’s been some speculation that rival networks might be interested because, despite dwindling audiences, the business reality show brings in an upscale audience advertisers crave.
“‘The Apprentice’ has been and continues to be a great experience for me,” Trump told the New York Daily News. “Who would ever have believed it was going to be one of the most successful shows ever on television. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll make a decision whether or not I want to do another season.”
Trump is already in business with NBC as the owner of the Miss USA pageant.
Originally, “The Apprentice” was designed as a one-shot deal. However, the first episodes in 2004 skyrocketed, generating loads of money for NBC, drawing huge ratings and making Trump a TV star.
One factor in Trump’s decision may be the amount of time it takes out of the new grandfather’s hectic schedule. Each edition takes five weeks to produce, precious time for Trump and his multiple building projects.
Reilly said NBC executives will talk with Trump and producer Mark Burnett in the coming weeks to see if there is a future for “The Apprentice” at the network.
Said Reilly: “It’s not dead yet.”
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