Leno screwed Letterman out of the Tonight Show and it looks like he is going to do the same thing to Conan.
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Jay Leno is kicking Conan O'Brien out of NBC
- Thread starter iOrlando
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As the article mentioned, the biggest problem here is that -- if Leno goes back to 11:30 -- how to fill five 10 pm time slots every week, when NBC hadn't planned for shows in that time slot. They can't just fill it with reruns or game shows because that wouldn't get the ratings that affiliates need heading into the 11:00 local news time slot. Unless they have a "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?" waiting in the wings, NBC won't be improving their situation with this move. And they'll have to pay off Conan.
It was always a big gamble. NBC reasoned that they could make a good profit on a relatively cheap show at 10 pm instead of expensive dramas. But they underestimated how much backlash there would be from affiliates. At many TV stations, the local newscast is the only program that makes significant profits. Reducing their local newscast ratings is the move that is most likely to cause an affiliate to lose money instead of making it, and that goes against everything the station owners want.
It was always a big gamble. NBC reasoned that they could make a good profit on a relatively cheap show at 10 pm instead of expensive dramas. But they underestimated how much backlash there would be from affiliates. At many TV stations, the local newscast is the only program that makes significant profits. Reducing their local newscast ratings is the move that is most likely to cause an affiliate to lose money instead of making it, and that goes against everything the station owners want.
Leno is used up though. There's nothing good about the guy. He should have exited gracefully.
NBC should have just let him go to another network instead of trying to please everyone.
How did Leno screw Letterman? It was NBC that made that decision (just like they're doing now, in fact).
And as has been pointed out, Leno consistently beat Letterman in the ratings the following years, so they probably made the right move.
As for the current mess, it probably is Leno's fault more than anyone. He's the only that gave a timeline for stepping down from his show a few years back. That got the ball rolling for Conan being promoted to his time slot. At the time, Leno was supposed to just go away, but when he started having second thoughts it was too late to not given Conan his promised spot on The Tonight Show and NBC was too afraid to let Leno go to Fox or some other network and compete against them so they created the whole 10:00pm debacle - that lead to them being weak at 10pm and Conan getting his behind kicked at 11:30pm.
The way they're arranging things now makes the most sense from a corporate/ratings/money perspective, but the fact of the matter is it shouldn't have happened in the first place.
Actually, when Letterman first moved to CBS and was going up against Leno head-to-head, Letterman got higher ratings than Leno. That changed when Leno had Hugh Grant on his show following the 'Divine Brown' incident. After that point Leno got higher ratings than Letterman.
Have you ever seen the movie "Late Night", It explains the deal that went down that gave Leno the show.
Leno didn't set the time line to leave, NBC said in 5 years you leave and Conan takes over.
I haven't seen Late Night but I'll probably try to check it out.
And if NBC set the timeline now, then it's even less Leno's fault than I thought.
Really, Leno and Conan should both jump ship to FOX and take NBC further down the toilet. It's going to be the first network to be completely eclipsed by a basic cable channel soon (I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Bravo, USA or some other hot cable network passes them in ratings).
Where's the golden rule that say affiliate news has to be at 11'o clock?
Something like 10PM local news, Leno at 11-11:30, then Conan at 11:30 sounds workable.
Local affiliate news gets stronger lead-in, hour jump on other network affiliates. Only variable I don't have a key on is if the ad prices from 11-11:30 makes the Leno show as attractive to the network as far as network ad revenue.
Something like 10PM local news, Leno at 11-11:30, then Conan at 11:30 sounds workable.
Local affiliate news gets stronger lead-in, hour jump on other network affiliates. Only variable I don't have a key on is if the ad prices from 11-11:30 makes the Leno show as attractive to the network as far as network ad revenue.
One of 2 things will happen, Conan leaves NBC and takes a job at Fox or ABC. Or Leno leaves. I don't see them both being allowed to jump ship.
As for USA and Bravo getting better ratings. It is all a part of the NBC family so money wise I don't think GE cares. The only reason Comcast wants to buy NBC is for the cable networks not NBC itself.
Fox is the only network that has a 2 hour prime time. CBS NBC ABC all have 3 hours of prime time so the news is on at 11.
Not having seen their contracts, I would think both Jay and Conan could leave if they wanted, since they're both being moved/rescheduled. Neither would be doing what they were last contracted to do, so it looks like they'd have a case.
I thought Comcast wanted to buy NBC for the cable networks and then split off/resell NBC? I know nothing's set in stone, but the early rumors I'd read made it sound that way.
Yeah, that's how it was before NBC decided to try and fool us with one hour of late night quality programming in the 10'o clock hour. NBC basically has 2 hours of primetime + Leno. While 11 has traditionally been when the news is on, that's not written in stone.
They might as well try a more radical paradigm shift to affiliate news at 10, since they've screwed the pooch with Leno at 10.
The Boston NBC affiliate wanted to move their news to 10pm this fall rather than airing the new Leno show. However, NBC told them they would pull their affiliation if they did that. The networks want (need) the affiliates to carry all their prime time shows, so that means local news at 11pm EST on NBC, ABC, and CBS and 10pm EST on Fox.
No offense, man. I like your posts. But I'd just read this thread, and then Leno saying the same thing in an article on CNN, and I was like,Mea culpa. In my defense, I thought it was appropriate, given that Leno used that line during the whole Leno-Letterman thing back in '93.
. To me it looked like you'd read the same article and immediately "borrowed" the line. I had no idea Leno had been doing that same joke since 1993.Maybe that's part of his problem.
I think you mean The Late Shift, based on the book of the same name. I do recommend the book, as (naturally) it gets a lot more in depth over a wider range of time. Still, the movie is worth seeing just for Kathy Bates as Helen Kushnick (Jay's manager at that time).
Negative persperation, bro'. I had no idea Jay was using that joke again.No offense, man. I like your posts. But I'd just read this thread, and then Leno saying the same thing in an article on CNN, and I was like,
I agree.Maybe that's part of his problem.
I hope Conan continues doing his show. Better than totally quit.
Even thought I think Letterman is better, Conan is sometimes funny to watch.
Even thought I think Letterman is better, Conan is sometimes funny to watch.
All this stuff does nothing except help David Letterman.
Poor NBC.Try some comedy's why don't ya!!
Poor NBC.Try some comedy's why don't ya!!
