Trump Would Work on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ in ‘Spare Time,’ Adviser Says

President-elect Donald Trump will retain a credit as executive producer of the reality TV show Celebrity Apprentice. The upcoming season, which premieres on January 2, is hosted by former California governor and iconic action star Arnold Schwarzenegger. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says no one but Trump knows how involved he will be, but the news seems to contradict NBC’s past assertion that it has severed business ties with Trump. Trump’s name is not included among the four people listed as executive producers of the show on the network’s web site. I am the new boss. Mr Trump’s spokeswoman, Kellyanne Conway, said on CNN on Friday that the President-elects ties to his reality show were being reviewed for potential conflicts of interest.

I have NOTHING to do with The Apprentice except for fact that I conceived it with Mark B & have a big stake in it. He will also nominate members of the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates television as well as cable and Internet providers.

DEGGANS: But it turns out, NBC isn’t totally out of the Trump business.

Donald Trump might have already been a household name in the United States, thanks to his hotels and the like, but what brought him into the public consciousness was the hit reality TV show, The Apprentice.

Debuting in 2004, The Apprentice and its spinoff, Celebrity Apprentice, featured teams trying to win Trump’s favor in various money-making competitions. As structured in the original arrangement, NBC pays the production company for rights to broadcast the show, and the production company pays the executive producer fee to Trump. In an email, Andy Dehnart, editor of the website Reality Blurred, said the executive producer title is “essentially meaningless” in reality television because it can denote a number of roles. They can designate the most powerful producer on the show or highlight a star with little day-to-day involvement. However, past presidents have published books during their time in the White House, so there is precedent for a president earning royalties while in office.

Entertainment, NBC News and MGM all did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the decision to keep Trump on the payroll.