NBC Guy: "Now they look at us as the definitive network of record for everything golf."

There are some bold statements from NBC's Mark Lazarus in an SBJ interview with John Ourand discussing the switch from Versus to NBC Sports Channel. And this about the golf channel:

Let’s talk about NBC’s other sports networks. How has the merger with NBC benefited Golf Channel?

LAZARUS: From marketing, promotion and branding, the peacock gave Golf Channel some good sports credibility. Golf Channel gave NBC further credibility in the endemic golf world. It has led to good ratings on NBC and it has led to record ratings on Golf Channel. As importantly, we started to get more credibility in the golf community. … We have credibility in the golf community in a way that we didn’t necessarily in the past, when we were a nice channel that golfers and golf fans looked at. Now they look at us as the definitive network of record for everything golf.

Not sure that's true, but it was the most-watched year ever for the channel and NBC has certainly delivered a shot of credibility in a short amount of time.

Besides reporting on the record year numbers, Martin Kaufman says there has been a big shakeup in Golf Channel senior management over the holidays.

Tom Shatakes, senior vice president, production, programming and operations, has left Golf Channel. Shathakes at one time was viewed as a candidate to run Golf Channel, but lost out to former NBC executive Mike McCarley, who was appointed as the channel’s president in February 2011. Since that time, industry sources who have dealings with Golf Channel have been anticipating Shatakes’ departure.