The New York Times reports that, with an eye on potential savings of $50 million a year, NBC is no longer going to commission pilots “as a matter of course.” NBC Universal honcho Jeff Zucker said the network might pay for “one or two” pilots in a season. The writers’ strike was not blamed, but Zucker was candid about other reasons for NBC to make dramatic cost-cutting moves: “Sometimes you see the world from a different perspective when you’re flat on your back. At NBC Entertainment we’ve been flat on our backs for the last few years.” Zucker’s announcement came just a few days after NBC said it would end its traditional “upfront” advertising presentations.

Times writer Eric Pfanner didn’t name any other sources, but quoted an anonymous “senior executive” from another network as saying it planned to make only half as many pilots as usual next season. The Times pegged the current cost of a one-hour pilot at $7 million. That’s a lot of money that could be sucked out of the production and post-production economy this year — “pilot season” is typically a very busy time at TV-friendly post houses.