Jay Leno Show: NBC's prime-time experiment is drifting toward failure
Filed under: People, Media, General Electric
Ever since it announced plans to create a 10 p.m. nightly talk show for Jay Leno, NBC has said it will give the strategy plenty of time to prove its worth. But reality may be less patient.While General Electric Co. (GE)'s network may be prepared to accept smaller audiences than it's accustomed to, NBC affiliates don't seem to be. Station managers in Baltimore, Kansas City, and elsewhere are alarmed at the way ratings for their local newscasts have plummeted since the network introduced The Jay Leno Show and changed its format for the last hour of prime time, Joe Flint reports in The Los Angeles Times.
It's hardly an unanticipated problem. NBC's Boston affiliate, WHDH, initially said it wouldn't air Leno, fearing that the show would be a weaker lead-in for its 11 p.m. news than the hourlong dramas Leno replaced. The station reconsidered after NBC Universal strongarmed it -- but what would happen if a number of affiliates increased their clout by banding together against the show?
They may not have to. As my colleague Jonathan Berr noted recently, Leno's show could be among the first casualties in the takeover of NBC by Comcast that's now in the works. The Washington Post's TV critic Tom Shales says this season will "almost certainly be [Leno's] last at 10," assuming he makes it even that long.
NBC has an answer to all this, albeit not a very convincing one: The network says the ratings for Jay Leno will rise in future months when the dramas it now competes with at 10 go into reruns. That would've been great logic 10 years ago, when there was still such a thing as the rerun season. Nowadays, the dead spots in the networks' schedules are when cable channels introduce their biggest shows, and the networks have responded by staggering their schedules and filling up the summer with reality series.
NBC has lost a third of its 10 p.m. audience compared to last season, thanks to Leno. Those viewers didn't flee to CBS (up 1 percent, year-over-year) or ABC (down 9 percent); they left network TV altogether, as viewers have been doing at a more gradual rate for years. No one has yet figured out a way to get them to come back. Tepid late-night-style talk is not going to do the trick.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 11)
10-20-2009 @ 7:08AM
jerald said...
The problem is that the viewers that watch TV at the 10 o'clock hour are not the same that watched Leno's late show. They don't want to watch the crap that comes on as "guest stars" and even Leno is losing it. There simply are no stars like Hope, Crosby, etc now days. All you have are stars that are oversexed and full of problems. Time to just go to bed and screw TV and the "reality" shows. Totally dysfunctional.
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10-20-2009 @ 3:35PM
Tracey Lea said...
couldnt have said it better but it will be sad to see Jay's show go the guests arent what they used to be though
10-20-2009 @ 7:59PM
chuckie said...
They simply took the dull and boring Tonight show and bumped it up to an earlier time slot. People are more awake at that hour and noticed it stunk much quicker than before.
10-20-2009 @ 8:26PM
gary said...
The problem is more than the time spot, Leno can not hide his right wing Rush Linbaugh loving personality! It is true Jay,s replacement sucks, at least we have Letterman........
10-20-2009 @ 8:31PM
Charles Baran said...
Maybe, since you are all so smart and savvy as to the viewing habits of the American family, you can all get jobs at NBC and put your expertise to work?
10-19-2009 @ 7:47PM
David S. said...
I think anytime Networks get a little worried that a favorite show will get top ratings, for revenue driven porposes They risk seeing what is happening here. On the other hand, it reminds me of a poster, which said , "Behold the turtle,. For he only makes progress when he sticks his neck out". Mr. Leno is a funny guy. That's My Personal Opinion.
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11-01-2009 @ 1:04PM
Linda said...
I agree. I enjoy laughing with Leno at 10pm . I was only able to watch his late show on Friday's since I have to be up early during the week.
I am thrilled he is on at 10pm. It is so much better (and healthier) to laugh before you go to sleep!
10-19-2009 @ 9:51PM
bob schick said...
greedy bears and short sellers will stop at nothing.
What the hell do Leno's ratings have to the long term profitability of this major successful company?
liars all!!!
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10-20-2009 @ 9:40AM
sally said...
Simple - the lower the viewers the less networks can charge for commericals. The less money networks can charge the less money the make just like in any other business. Simple as that.
10-22-2009 @ 6:21PM
9PMyawner said...
Boring Boring Boring Jay was boring in late night and even more boring in primetime. The promos were like a Presidential candidate walking through the curtains with his "heartfelt" tender touch to the technician. WHAT A HUGE TURN OFF!!!!! Come on guys Jay is old news in a new wrapper. It's like taking a shower and putting on the same underwear.....John Stewart edgy witty and very influential,.....Letterman has revived his deal with an affair or two and Conan is just funny.....Jay has been a sellout since he got the gig...I've paid for and have seen him live in concert 3 times pre-2night show perm. emcee and he was funny and damn cool now he's an uninterested uninvolved blowhard. He's as stupid talking as he looks driving down the highway in a convertible with that assinine grin on his huge mellon. Jay should throw his hat "big ass hat I bet" in the ring for a game show gig like concentration or match game 2010.
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10-20-2009 @ 8:14AM
Becki said...
I don't stay up late so I was really looking forward to Jay being on at 10pm so I could, finally, watch his show....UGH!!! What a snooze-fest. I watched it a couple of times to give it a chance and then was happy to find out that all these years I wasn't missing anything.
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10-20-2009 @ 10:25PM
Sue said...
Actually, his 11:30 show was much better. I have yet to watch a full episode of his 10pm show, but would often watch at least most of his Tonight Show. The 10pm show is just "off" in some way.
10-20-2009 @ 8:22AM
kswunsch said...
FIRE ILLMELT.......................CEO OF A ONCE TOP 10 COMPANY NOW A JOKE
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10-20-2009 @ 8:30AM
kluji said...
To whoever wrote greedy bears and short sellers above: If you want to be in the market and only play it one way you deserve what you get. The market (this is why they are called markets) go in both directions. Are you saying the bulls, long players, are not greedy? Ge went from single didits towards 60's and you longs were looking for $100 and then 150. That is considered greed too. Yes, i shorted in the high 40's and covered in the teens. Yet Ge went to single digits. I could have had more but I afterall, I did not want to get greedy and put myself at risk of it going back towards the 40's. You Sir were the greedy one. Now, you are mad at the world it seems because YOU did not do your homework or failed to use proper risk management in limiting your loss on the way down. Rather than spewing off and BLAMING others you should spend time listening to the markets and what they are saying, read up on history in the markets and start blaming yourself for your bad decisions.
kluji
Shorting the dow as it rally's, Again. Already covered once last Oct/Nov when it collapsed
Shorting Gold
Buying the dollar
Not shorting any individual stocks at this time.
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10-21-2009 @ 8:17AM
Fafa flookie said...
Yeah?Short long.... Who gives a sh**...you'll be dead in 30 years anyway...
10-20-2009 @ 9:01AM
Wanda said...
How things change! NBC used to be the network for well written,provacative drama (Hill Street Blues,ER,TheWest Wing,etc.). All the good stuff is on cable now and NBC cancels the only decent adult oriented drama in their line-up,Southland, to give the viewers second rate comedy skits and warmed over jokes even a 5 year old would think were lame.Sad.
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10-20-2009 @ 9:07AM
Pawlo said...
Jay, your show is boaring. Monologe is to long and you look uncomfortable doing it. Everyone who has sat in those K-mart chairs looks uncomfortable. Your writers dropped the ball at your expence. We still love you.
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10-20-2009 @ 9:17AM
Betse said...
I watched Jay late night and enjoyed it. But his show now is just boring. The "earn your plug" and the car thing is like something Letterman would do. And Conehead OBrian?? Maybe he is a decent writer, but as a comedian, he is embarrassing. Nothing but a baffoon/clown dressed in a suit. I tried to watch Letterman, but that lasted 2 days. He is not much better and with that goofus bandleader Paul who just stands there and mumbles for the whole show.
Just as this article states, now I usually just leave the news on to whatever show I am watching at 10 and, sure enough, have discovered some of the other affiliates here in Wash. D.C., other than NBC have a good news show.
Now I see advertisements for new talk shows late at night on other networks, (other than the big 4) Wanda Sykes and George Lopez and I will definately try them out. And why hasn't ABC put the late night with Jimmy Kimmel on at 11:30? It would give Conehead and Borrrring Dave a run for their money!!
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10-20-2009 @ 9:20AM
Randy said...
DVR Leno, watch it at 11:30 instead of OBrian's lame attempts at 2nd grade humor or the despicable diatribe of the left wing's ultimate degenerate, Letterman.
Jay's monlogue is still timely and humorous. Fast forward past the idiotic skits, 3rd rate guests and pick and choose from some of the more entertaining bits like Headlines or Jaywalking. Then after 20 minutes you're done!
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10-20-2009 @ 9:27AM
Audie said...
I Love You Jay, I think your show is a pick-me-up at the end of the day. I watched you for years and will continue to watch you in ther future. I wish I could see you in person but you don't come to the East Coast so I have to watch you on TV.
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