Jay Leno lands at 10 p.m. as NBC cuts program costs

NBC appears prepared to hand over the troublesome 10 o'clock weeknight slot to Jay Leno as the company barrels through a painful restructuring brought on by low ratings and a bad economy.   

Leno, the soon-to-be-exiting "Tonight Show" host who's been making rumblings about heading to ABC or elsewhere, will apparently do a nightly prime-time show. This will keep Leno in the NBC fold after Conan O'Brien takes over "Tonight" next year.

A 10 p.m. Leno show would be high-risk, especially if the host generates viewing levels no higher than the 5 million or so who tune in to watch "Tonight." But such a program would presumbly be relatively low-cost and would thus help NBC balance the books in a difficult economic environment. The move probably signals an end, at least for now, to NBC's ambitious and costly 10 p.m. dramas. "ER" is ending its run this season, and new efforts like "My Own Worst Enemy" have failed to find viewers.

At an investment conference today, NBC Universal boss Jeff Zucker said that the company's flagship network may trim its programming because of the poor economy.

"Can we continue to program 22 hours of prime time? Three of our competitors don't," Zucker was quoted as saying. "Can we afford to program seven nights a week? One of our competitors doesn't. All of these questions have to be on the table. And we are actively looking at all of those questions."

Last week, the company axed three top programming execs as part of a major retrenchment. Today, the industry rumor mill buzzed with talk of more executives sent packing, including Erin Gough Wehrenberg (who, in yet another realignment this year, was made a top deputy to now-ousted studio head Katherine Pope) and Ted Frank, a three-decade-plus veteran of NBC. The network's release emphasized the return of former studio head Angela Bromstad, sidestepping mention of the latest blood-letting; a network spokeswoman declined to comment on executives exiting the company. 

NBC made headlines two years ago by saying it would fill the 8 p.m. slot with low-cost fare. That maneuver has not worked out well, as the game show "Deal or No Deal" has suffered from overplaying and product-placement-heavy shows like "Knight Rider" have struggled in the ratings.

-- Scott Collins   

 

   

 

 

Comments

[pat weaver]

Leno at 10pm is possibly the worst recent idea a TV idiot....err manager....has had.

Zucker is Mr Gimmick and a joke. Super sized episodes..... more Howie Mandel .... lots of good 'old T & A on dreck like Las Vegas?

Zucker is a failure at running NBC. Or a success running it into the ground.

[timbevil]

So the networks are cutting back because of the poor economy? Yet the same lame no talent celebrities can get $15 for a picture that's lousey, released as a hit when they know its lousey, then sold as blu-ray like high definition makes the crappy acting better. Networks or studios do nothing ethical.

[B in ATL]

Well, the networks are getting what they deserve. Their behavior during the writer's strike started all of this. The networks, its producers and writers and now the talent are a bunch of spoiled cry babies.

Did anyone see last Monday's Boston Legal? Where is my programming? Why don't the networks cater to me? And just who do the networks think they are programming to?

The writer's strike did to TV what the baseball strike did to baseball; it killed the fans. And they are not coming back.

Good bye broadcast TV. It was only OK while it lasted.

B in the ATL

[phoenixandrew]

I give his 10PM show a month before it folds. People would rather watch Conan than Jay.

[Stupid decision, stupid shows]

This is so stupid. NBC is just a tragic comedy of errors, one bad decision after the next. They are all over the map.

Didn't Zucker learn anything about genre fatigue after its reality show death spiral.

They are destroying NBC. And, Leno stinks but has done well in the absence of much competition and lower ratings requirement in the late night time slot.

Conan must be po'd.

We stopped watching late night talk shows long ago. All a bunch of stupid men with stupid sophomoric sexist "humor."

These high income women refuse to support it. How about a FEMALE late night host? Kimmel, Fallon, are your choices? Yikes.

[Leon A Davis]

About ten years ago I figured out that television programming is designed to keep viewers watching through the next block of commercials. I'm a guy and 90% of the commercials were for chicks. So I stopped watching broadcast television altogether and I don't miss it for a second. I own a large DVD collection of classic shows and I watch 'em when I want to, no stupid, mind-numbing commercials for panty shields and toilet paper. The only product in my life I've ever bought after seeing it on a commercial was Muriel cigars. And that was because of Edie Adams slinking around in a gold lame dress. ("The minute you walked into the joint, I could see you were a man of distinction...") I just had to have those cigars because Edie was talking to me. Forty years later I always think of Edie when I enjoy a cigar. But now television has been feminized and rendered political correct. Strained through a sheet. No more Edie. No more cigars. After I've watched episodes of shows like Barney Miller, Rumpole of the Bailey, Keeping Up Appearances, The Bob Newhart Show, Jeeves and Wooster, and so forth, one realizes what absolute dreck the networks are trying to market. Overloaded with screaming, in-your-face commercials that insult my intelligence. . My movie collection is large enough that I can watch a different movie every night for over three years before I start over. Plus, I get my news from the internet. In my opinion, the three major networks (four if you include NBC) should just crawl under the porch and die.

[A Turner]

I, personally, think Leno at 10pm is a genius idea. As a person that works and also has to get the kids up early for school. I am not awake past 11pm these days. I have always liked Leno's comedy. I watch the 10pm news more often than not, because there is very little on at 10pm in the drama department. I got bored with ER about 8 years ago.

As for the complaint on advertisers marketing to women, most men will say they hate to shop. As an advertiser I would market to the ones doing the shopping. It's call good business.

[Leslie in TPA]

Mr. Letterman and Craig Ferguson have my attention. I won't watch Leno no matter where you put him.

[Leslie in TPA]

I will continue to watch Mr. Letterman and Craig Ferguson Monday through Friday. Didn't have the desire to watch Leno before, won't watch him now. NBC needs to put on their thinking caps and find a new Friends or ER or something with quality. Someone out there has got to have a little imagination. Please don't offer another lousy remake of a program that was perfect for the time it first aired. Strive to make a NEW classic.

[Bill]

The vultures are finally coming home to roost! Good Riddance!

[Kim]

I'm mad about this. I don't watch Leno at 1030pm CST. I certainly won't watch him at 9pm CST. With this stupid move, at least 5 possibly great shows may not be seen. Jay just needs to retire!

[Todd Rimes]

Ridiculous! I've watched Leno maybe 5 times in the last decade. He's a terrible interviewer and his monologue delivery sucks - even though the writing was sometimes good. He just flubs it because he gets so high on the audience adoration he can't concentrate.

Jay, you have all the money you could ever need. Don't mess with good TV. The notion that "Chuck" could get canceled because of you is preposterous, wrong, stupid, etc.

[D&V]

Like many others we watched the "new" Jay Leno show last night. Our very low expectations were not exceeded. The show stinks. Jay Leno should stick to the nightclub scene rather than blocking out another 1 hour time slot in a TV schedule that is already so bad that we wondeer why we pay for cable access at all.

D&V
WB, Canada