NBC to Air ‘Schindler’s List’ Without Commercial Breaks

In a virtually unprecedented move, NBC will present the Oscar-winning film “Schindler’s List” next month without commercial breaks.

Ford Motor Co., exclusive sponsor of the 3 1/2-hour telecast, will air less than two minutes of advertising--one spot before the movie and another after the end credits. A pair of intermissions lasting less than two minutes each, featuring just the movie title and Ford logo, will appear during the broadcast.

The R-rated film about the Holocaust will undergo limited editing, with director Steven Spielberg participating in that process. Scheduled for Feb. 23, the presentation will be rated TV-M, for mature audiences, the first network broadcast to receive that designation.

Meeting with reporters Saturday, NBC officials also confirmed that Jerry Seinfeld has “decided that he would like to come back” for a ninth season of his top-rated sitcom, but another long-running comedy, “Wings,” will conclude its 8-year run in May.

Also, the hit drama “ER” and “Homicide: Life on the Street” will be off during March so the network can try out two new shows, “Prince Street” and “Crisis Center.”

Negotiations have yet to conclude for “Seinfeld,” which is expected to command the highest license fee (money the networks pay production companies for the right to broadcast programs) in TV history.

Seinfeld himself makes an estimated $500,000 per episode as star-producer, and could see that figure rise substantially. Major raises also are in store for other cast members. Each year the actors huddle to decide whether to continue; co-creator Larry David chose to leave after last season.

While declining comment about terms of the deal, which could wind up paying Seinfeld a figure approaching $20 million, NBC Entertainment President Warren Littlefield said: “Look at what’s going on in the NBA. The world of entertainment, the world of sports, it’s a big-money world.”

NBC generates enormous revenue from its Thursday lineup, with “Seinfeld” topping the charts, garnering more than $1 million per minute of advertising time. Movie studios in particular pay NBC a premium for time on Thursdays so they can tout films opening the next day.

In temporarily benching “ER,” NBC hopes to entice viewers to sample series by putting them in an hour that the network already dominates. ABC announced a similar strategy last week, saying it will pull “NYPD Blue” and “Ellen” to introduce shows in those slots.

“The worst thing you can do is have a promising show and put it in a failed time period,” Littlefield said.

In addition, networks generally air several repeats of hit shows during March and April, seeking to extend the supply of original episodes through the May ratings sweeps, which are vital to affiliates in determining local ad rates.

NBC will air a three-part “Law & Order” in the “ER” slot during March. “Prince Street,” which is about undercover cops, will air Wednesdays following a Thursday preview, while “Crisis Center” replaces “Homicide” on Friday night.

NBC will reach out to viewers in May with a special 3-D “3rd Rock From the Sun” (ABC plans a week of 3-D programming during that month as well) and a one-hour “Mad About You,” in which the couple’s baby will be born. “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” marks its fifth anniversary with a prime-time special May 22.

After NBC canceled “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” last spring there was criticism about a dearth of minority comedies, although the network’s dramas “ER,” “Law & Order” and “Homicide” feature ethnically mixed casts. Littlefield said NBC would keep striving for diversity but added: “My goal is not to mirror WB or UPN and their product. I don’t think that advances anything.” Both fledgling networks have built lineups around predominantly African American comedies, though some have accused their broader sitcoms of negative stereotyping.