Donald Trump to NBC: 'I quit'

By Stone Martindale May 19, 2007, 3:47 GMT

Donald Trump - © Glenn Harris / Photorazzi

New grandfather, Donald Trump says NBC network can't fire him -- he quits.

Reuters reports the billionaire issued a statement on Friday saying he has informed the U.S. television network he is "moving on from 'The Apprentice' to a major new TV venture," though no network was named as a replacement.

"The Apprentice" was left off the new prime-time schedule unveiled at the Upfront NBC presentation. 

Trump's show was a competition between young, aggressive entrepreneurs in a weekly game of elimination as they competed for a real position in Trump's empire.

"The Apprentice" debuted as a hit in 2004, a top hit its first season. But the series dropped steadily in the ratings in successive years, Reuters reports it has lost "nearly two-thirds of its original audience by the time it wrapped up its sixth installment last month."

The statement issued by Trump's organization is the deal clincher to end the series.

"It looks like viewers will have to wait to see what Mr. Trump plans for the future," the statement said. "But if Mr. Trump's past TV success is any indication of the future, then one can anticipate that millions of 'Apprentice' fans will be migrating to his new venture."

Reuters reports that despite this hiccup, Trump and NBC are still in the beauty pageant business together.

In March, they renewed a deal "to keep annual broadcasts of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, which Trump co-owns, on the General Electric Co. controlled network through 2010."