Posted on 12/08/2008 5:07:22 PM PST by BurbankKarl
NBC Universal is in serious negotiations to give its 10 p.m. weeknight time slot to Jay Leno, a move that would secure the popular "Tonight Show" host's place at the network after he vacates his late night perch this spring, according to three sources close to the network. An announcement could come as early as Tuesday.
The move would address several major problems for the network, which is bleeding ratings and has failed to develop any new hit shows this fall, at a time when advertising revenue is plummeting. Under the proposal, NBC would only develop programming for two hours a night instead of three, saving considerable development and production costs. NBC, mired in fourth place among broadcasters, has seen its ratings decline 12 percent over last season.
The network has also been scrambling to find a way to keep Mr. Leno in the fold, years after it struck a deal to give Conan O'Brien, host of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," the "Tonight Show" perch in 2009. Mr. Leno's ratings remained strong in the intervening time.
On Monday, NBCU chief executive Jeff Zucker told investors at an industry conference that the network was considering scaling back the number of prime time hours it programs as a way to save money. His comments came as the company laid off 500 employees as part of a projected $500 million in cuts to its 2009 budget. On Monday, the company merged its network and television studio to streamline operations and eliminate overlapping staff.
"Can we continue to program 22 hours of prime-time? Three of our competitors don't. Can we afford to program seven nights a week? One of our competitors doesn't," Mr. Zucker said. "All of these questions have to be on the table. And we are actively looking at all ..
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
The Newspaper Bubble, Too, Has Burst (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch)
The New York Times | December 10, 2008 | RICHARD PEREZ-PENA
Posted on 12/10/2008 4:59:40 AM PST by abb
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2146056/posts
NBC’s Conan O’Brien Tells Crude Joke About Palin’s Daughter
Breitbart TV | 9-6-08 | Breitbart Video
Posted on 09/06/2008 6:10:37 AM PDT by Victory111
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2075981/posts
Leno’s Last ‘Tonight’ Is May 29; O’Brien in June 1
newsmax.com | July 21, 2008 | staff
Posted on 07/21/2008 10:43:27 PM PDT by kellynla
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049224/posts
Canada Condemns “Racist” TV Show (Conan O’Brien)
Reuters via SwissiInfo | February 13, 2004 | David Ljunggren
Posted on 02/13/2004 1:53:18 PM PST by quidnunc
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1077706/posts
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.