NBC Finds Itself Back in Trump’s Orbit With ‘Apprentice’ Credit – Bloomberg

NBC’s tangled ties with Donald Trump have created another knot.

Trump’s role as executive producer on NBC’s reality show “The New Celebrity Apprentice” means the network is indirectly connected to him once again, more than a year after ending its business relationship with the then-presidential candidate when he referred to Mexicans as rapists.

Trump starred in the original “Apprentice,” and he’s eligible to receive proceeds from the new version because of his production role on the show, which begins airing Jan. 2 with Arnold Schwarzenegger as host. That means that when NBC pays Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which owns the program, MGM can then issue a payout to Trump for his portion.

NBC executives don’t see that as a contradiction to their policy, since the network isn’t paying Trump directly, according to a person familiar with the matter. More problematic was NBC’s relationship with Trump as co-owners of the Miss Universe organization, a joint venture that ended when the network broke off ties, the person said.

Trump has had an off-and-on public relationship with NBC. Months after cutting ties with the candidate last year, NBC had him on as guest host of “Saturday Night Live.” When the late-night comedy show tapped Alec Baldwin to impersonate Trump in the final months of the campaign, the candidate lashed out at the show on Twitter, saying the program was unfair and no longer funny.

As an executive producer on “The New Celebrity Apprentice,” the president-elect could be due a payment in the low five figures per episode, according to Variety, which first reported his continued role. Trump has been affiliated with “The Apprentice” on NBC since its inception in 2004, and has served as executive producer. His name will appear in the credits after creator Mark Burnett and before Schwarzenegger, who replaces Trump as host, according to Variety. NBC, owned by Comcast Corp., has committed to eight episodes, according to the publication.

The arrangement, unusual for a sitting president, will likely subject him to criticism from watchdogs who’ve been on the lookout for conflicts of interest between America’s first billionaire commander in chief and his many business interests.

“Suppose the show gets poor ratings?” asked Robert Stern, former general counsel for the California Fair Political Practices Commission. “Will NBC be reluctant to cancel the show since it does not want to offend the president, his Federal Communications Commission or other agencies that regulate the company?”

Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for the president-elect, didn’t respond to a question about his position with “The New Celebrity Apprentice,” saying only, “Additional details regarding Mr. Trump’s business interests will be provided on Dec. 15.” MGM confirmed Trump’s credit on the show, while declining to comment further.

In October, a video of Trump making lewd comments while taping the NBC show “Access Hollywood” leaked to the media. NBC later fired Billy Bush, who appeared in the video and was most recently a host on NBC’s “Today” show.

When it started out, “The Apprentice” featured a number of contestants competing in business-related challenges to win a spot as a worker at the Trump Organization.

Schwarzenegger, also a Republican, gave up acting after being elected California governor in 2003, though his image did appear in 2009’s “Terminator Salvation,” which came out while he was in office. He’s since returned to acting. In “The New Celebrity Attendance,” famous contestants like comedian Jon Lovitz and singer Vince Neil will compete on behalf of charities.