NBC's $4 Million Price Tag

Jerry Seinfeld, start getting your finances in order. NBC could one day be yours.

Of course, General Electric will not consider selling its NBC Universal unit until after the 2008 Olympics, as the Financial Times reminds us today. The company expects to get $500 million in extra revenue from its exclusive deal to broadcast the games from Beijing.

But it's the $40 billion price tag that could have Seinfeld stymied. He may have been led to believe he could get it for less.

That's because the writers of 30 Rock, the NBC sitcom starring Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, think their employer is worth just a tiny, tiny fraction of that amount.

In last week's episode, Alec Baldwin's character failed to win over the support of the show's guest star, Seinfeld, for his new idea, "Seinfeldvision." It's a novel concept in which NBC capitalizes on one of its most lucrative shows ever by digitally inserting clips of the old Seinfeld character into the network's current shows.

First, the 30 Rock writers diss their employer by disclosing that one of Seinfeld's favorite shows is ABC's Lost.

Then, Seinfeld threatens to buy NBC and turn it into the "biggest Lane Bryant in midtown." Baldwin's character thinks that's preposterous. "Like you've got $4 million just lying around?"

That's right, folks. The news of a $4 million NBC, brought to you by none other than NBC. Let's hope the real NBC executives have a sense of humor, and 30 Rock stays on air.

Watch the clip here: