I quibble with lots of this op-ed, but this part is spot-on:

Spend less. If The Walking Dead were on NBC, it would be the most successful and least expensive show on the network. All of the basic cable hits, in the early years of their runs, cost way less to produce than those on the networks. This isn’t only because they have concepts they can realize more economically; they also don’t cast big stars, they pay less to those making the shows, and they have tighter production schedules. The average viewer doesn’t see a qualitative difference between NBC’s shows and those on FX, but the latter pays its producers less and shoots at least one fewer day per episode. And if you’re going for a younger audience, you’re most likely not going to cast actors with big quotes, since those are usually burnt-out feature-film stars or former cast members from past network hits, none of whom mean anything to people under 35. Lowering the cost of goods for the network would benefit the bottom line and take the pressure off during the transition to a new creative paradigm, making it easier to take more programming risks. My experience is that network shows cost about $3 million per episode, while basic cable shows go for $500,000 to $1 million less. That kind of savings across a schedule is significant: The struggle is in showing the will and leadership to get it done.

A little borrowing from the Universal Cable Prods. model could do wonders for NBC.