Jay Leno - Shows, Projects, and News
12-11-08, 10:58 AM
#76
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,659
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
12-11-08, 12:23 PM
#77
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,001
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I saw that as well. He kinda had that reticent, unenthusiastic vibe you see when he interviews a reality show star/z-list celeb that he doesn't care about. I think he knows that he's being screwed, but he knows making a big deal out of it isn't going to change anything.
12-11-08, 01:58 PM
#78
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: On a little blue planet, third from the Sun.
Posts: 1,389
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Leno's prime-time move just another uninspired NBC idea
NBC would like you to believe that its strange scheme to install Jay Leno in a weeknight show at 10 p.m. is a bold stroke of prime-time genius. Don't fall for it. With this move, a once-dominant network is waving the white flag of surrender.
By asking Leno to take the ball and run with the 10 p.m. slot Monday through Friday, the beleaguered Peacock is essentially admitting that it no longer has the resources, the innovative know-how or the brainpower to produce quality late-night dramas.
So sad. So pathetic. This is NBC, after all — the network that gave us cutting-edge 10 p.m. shows such as "Hill Street Blues," "St. Elsewhere," "ER," "Law & Order" and "Homicide: Life on the Street."
What's next — infomercials at 9?
This, of course, will be something completely new for prime time — a network airing the same show every night at the same time. And there are advantages for NBC. First and foremost, it prevents Leno from bolting to another network. Think of how embarrassing it would have been for Leno to set up shop at, say, ABC and then beat up on incoming "Tonight Show" host Conan O'Brien every night.
Easy on NBC's wallet
Most of all, it's cheap, cheap, cheap. Even with the gargantuan salary NBC undoubtedly had to fork over to keep Leno in the fold, it costs much less to put on a late-night gabfest than a quality scripted drama.
In this era of corporate downsizing, that's music to the ears of a numbers-crunching bean counter.
Earlier this week, NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker hinted in a news conference that this kind of move just might represent the future of network television. "Can we continue to program 22 hours of prime time?" Zucker wondered. "Can we afford to program seven nights a week?"
By installing Leno, with his lukewarm humor, at 10 p.m. weeknights, NBC essentially chops five hours off the 22. Whew, that was easy. Where else can we cut?
But perhaps it's asking too much of NBC — a company wrestling with budget deficits and layoffs — even to attempt to develop quality hit shows. This is a network, after all, that in recent years, has failed miserably at that mission, aside from a minor breakthrough here or there.
The fall season, for example, has been a stupendous embarrassment. An ill-conceived remake of talking-car drama "Knight Rider" sputtered and stalled. A pre-Thanksgiving variety special hosted by Rosie O'Donnell was a wretched stink bomb. The one-time marquee hit "Heroes" experienced a creative brain cramp and plunged in the ratings.
And do we even need to get into the train wrecks that are "My Own Worst Enemy," "Crusoe" and "Kath & Kim"? Just call it must-flee TV.
Things have gotten so bad for the Peacock that, earlier this week, "Newsday" columnist Verne Gay questioned whether NBC might be "the General Motors of network TV."
And looking ahead to midseason, it doesn't appear to be getting any better. NBC has announced that it will air its tired Donald Trump vehicle, "The Apprentice," in excruciating two-hour blocks. It will also offer yet another dance-competition show, along with a dating series from Ryan Seacrest called "Momma's Boys" and a hidden-camera prank show hosted by Howie Mandel. Remember, this is the network that gave us "The West Wing" and "Seinfeld." Sad, just sad.
On second thought, maybe it's not such a bad idea to air Leno five nights a week in prime time. Obviously, holding NBC programmers responsible for coming up with something fresh, innovative, and original is like trusting children to handle explosives.
NBC would like you to believe that its strange scheme to install Jay Leno in a weeknight show at 10 p.m. is a bold stroke of prime-time genius. Don't fall for it. With this move, a once-dominant network is waving the white flag of surrender.
By asking Leno to take the ball and run with the 10 p.m. slot Monday through Friday, the beleaguered Peacock is essentially admitting that it no longer has the resources, the innovative know-how or the brainpower to produce quality late-night dramas.
So sad. So pathetic. This is NBC, after all — the network that gave us cutting-edge 10 p.m. shows such as "Hill Street Blues," "St. Elsewhere," "ER," "Law & Order" and "Homicide: Life on the Street."
What's next — infomercials at 9?
This, of course, will be something completely new for prime time — a network airing the same show every night at the same time. And there are advantages for NBC. First and foremost, it prevents Leno from bolting to another network. Think of how embarrassing it would have been for Leno to set up shop at, say, ABC and then beat up on incoming "Tonight Show" host Conan O'Brien every night.
Easy on NBC's wallet
Most of all, it's cheap, cheap, cheap. Even with the gargantuan salary NBC undoubtedly had to fork over to keep Leno in the fold, it costs much less to put on a late-night gabfest than a quality scripted drama.
In this era of corporate downsizing, that's music to the ears of a numbers-crunching bean counter.
Earlier this week, NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker hinted in a news conference that this kind of move just might represent the future of network television. "Can we continue to program 22 hours of prime time?" Zucker wondered. "Can we afford to program seven nights a week?"
By installing Leno, with his lukewarm humor, at 10 p.m. weeknights, NBC essentially chops five hours off the 22. Whew, that was easy. Where else can we cut?
But perhaps it's asking too much of NBC — a company wrestling with budget deficits and layoffs — even to attempt to develop quality hit shows. This is a network, after all, that in recent years, has failed miserably at that mission, aside from a minor breakthrough here or there.
The fall season, for example, has been a stupendous embarrassment. An ill-conceived remake of talking-car drama "Knight Rider" sputtered and stalled. A pre-Thanksgiving variety special hosted by Rosie O'Donnell was a wretched stink bomb. The one-time marquee hit "Heroes" experienced a creative brain cramp and plunged in the ratings.
And do we even need to get into the train wrecks that are "My Own Worst Enemy," "Crusoe" and "Kath & Kim"? Just call it must-flee TV.
Things have gotten so bad for the Peacock that, earlier this week, "Newsday" columnist Verne Gay questioned whether NBC might be "the General Motors of network TV."
And looking ahead to midseason, it doesn't appear to be getting any better. NBC has announced that it will air its tired Donald Trump vehicle, "The Apprentice," in excruciating two-hour blocks. It will also offer yet another dance-competition show, along with a dating series from Ryan Seacrest called "Momma's Boys" and a hidden-camera prank show hosted by Howie Mandel. Remember, this is the network that gave us "The West Wing" and "Seinfeld." Sad, just sad.
On second thought, maybe it's not such a bad idea to air Leno five nights a week in prime time. Obviously, holding NBC programmers responsible for coming up with something fresh, innovative, and original is like trusting children to handle explosives.
http://www.mercurynews.com/tv/ci_11177203
12-11-08, 09:55 PM
#79
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: USA
Posts: 1,246
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I love this.
I have nothing against Conan except for the fact that I enjoy Jay Leno a lot more. I think having Jay on at 10pm will actually help people continue on and tune in to Conan. I think that gives more security to the Tonight Show and the continuing to smash the boring and unfunny Letterman in the ratings.
I have nothing against Conan except for the fact that I enjoy Jay Leno a lot more. I think having Jay on at 10pm will actually help people continue on and tune in to Conan. I think that gives more security to the Tonight Show and the continuing to smash the boring and unfunny Letterman in the ratings.
12-11-08, 11:01 PM
#80
DVD Talk Gold Edition
If Leno didn't get this deal, he would probably have screwed over Kimmel by going to ABC. Also while the viewers may like Leno more, I beleive Letterman is more respected by his peers, Conan included.
12-11-08, 11:53 PM
#81
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Leno's prime-time move just another uninspired NBC idea
NBC would like you to believe that its strange scheme to install Jay Leno in a weeknight show at 10 p.m. is a bold stroke of prime-time genius. Don't fall for it. With this move, a once-dominant network is waving the white flag of surrender.
By asking Leno to take the ball and run with the 10 p.m. slot Monday through Friday, the beleaguered Peacock is essentially admitting that it no longer has the resources, the innovative know-how or the brainpower to produce quality late-night dramas.
So sad. So pathetic. This is NBC, after all — the network that gave us cutting-edge 10 p.m. shows such as "Hill Street Blues," "St. Elsewhere," "ER," "Law & Order" and "Homicide: Life on the Street."
What's next — infomercials at 9?
This, of course, will be something completely new for prime time — a network airing the same show every night at the same time. And there are advantages for NBC. First and foremost, it prevents Leno from bolting to another network. Think of how embarrassing it would have been for Leno to set up shop at, say, ABC and then beat up on incoming "Tonight Show" host Conan O'Brien every night.
Easy on NBC's wallet
Most of all, it's cheap, cheap, cheap. Even with the gargantuan salary NBC undoubtedly had to fork over to keep Leno in the fold, it costs much less to put on a late-night gabfest than a quality scripted drama.
In this era of corporate downsizing, that's music to the ears of a numbers-crunching bean counter.
Earlier this week, NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker hinted in a news conference that this kind of move just might represent the future of network television. "Can we continue to program 22 hours of prime time?" Zucker wondered. "Can we afford to program seven nights a week?"
By installing Leno, with his lukewarm humor, at 10 p.m. weeknights, NBC essentially chops five hours off the 22. Whew, that was easy. Where else can we cut?
But perhaps it's asking too much of NBC — a company wrestling with budget deficits and layoffs — even to attempt to develop quality hit shows. This is a network, after all, that in recent years, has failed miserably at that mission, aside from a minor breakthrough here or there.
The fall season, for example, has been a stupendous embarrassment. An ill-conceived remake of talking-car drama "Knight Rider" sputtered and stalled. A pre-Thanksgiving variety special hosted by Rosie O'Donnell was a wretched stink bomb. The one-time marquee hit "Heroes" experienced a creative brain cramp and plunged in the ratings.
And do we even need to get into the train wrecks that are "My Own Worst Enemy," "Crusoe" and "Kath & Kim"? Just call it must-flee TV.
Things have gotten so bad for the Peacock that, earlier this week, "Newsday" columnist Verne Gay questioned whether NBC might be "the General Motors of network TV."
And looking ahead to midseason, it doesn't appear to be getting any better. NBC has announced that it will air its tired Donald Trump vehicle, "The Apprentice," in excruciating two-hour blocks. It will also offer yet another dance-competition show, along with a dating series from Ryan Seacrest called "Momma's Boys" and a hidden-camera prank show hosted by Howie Mandel. Remember, this is the network that gave us "The West Wing" and "Seinfeld." Sad, just sad.
On second thought, maybe it's not such a bad idea to air Leno five nights a week in prime time. Obviously, holding NBC programmers responsible for coming up with something fresh, innovative, and original is like trusting children to handle explosives.
NBC would like you to believe that its strange scheme to install Jay Leno in a weeknight show at 10 p.m. is a bold stroke of prime-time genius. Don't fall for it. With this move, a once-dominant network is waving the white flag of surrender.
By asking Leno to take the ball and run with the 10 p.m. slot Monday through Friday, the beleaguered Peacock is essentially admitting that it no longer has the resources, the innovative know-how or the brainpower to produce quality late-night dramas.
So sad. So pathetic. This is NBC, after all — the network that gave us cutting-edge 10 p.m. shows such as "Hill Street Blues," "St. Elsewhere," "ER," "Law & Order" and "Homicide: Life on the Street."
What's next — infomercials at 9?
This, of course, will be something completely new for prime time — a network airing the same show every night at the same time. And there are advantages for NBC. First and foremost, it prevents Leno from bolting to another network. Think of how embarrassing it would have been for Leno to set up shop at, say, ABC and then beat up on incoming "Tonight Show" host Conan O'Brien every night.
Easy on NBC's wallet
Most of all, it's cheap, cheap, cheap. Even with the gargantuan salary NBC undoubtedly had to fork over to keep Leno in the fold, it costs much less to put on a late-night gabfest than a quality scripted drama.
In this era of corporate downsizing, that's music to the ears of a numbers-crunching bean counter.
Earlier this week, NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker hinted in a news conference that this kind of move just might represent the future of network television. "Can we continue to program 22 hours of prime time?" Zucker wondered. "Can we afford to program seven nights a week?"
By installing Leno, with his lukewarm humor, at 10 p.m. weeknights, NBC essentially chops five hours off the 22. Whew, that was easy. Where else can we cut?
But perhaps it's asking too much of NBC — a company wrestling with budget deficits and layoffs — even to attempt to develop quality hit shows. This is a network, after all, that in recent years, has failed miserably at that mission, aside from a minor breakthrough here or there.
The fall season, for example, has been a stupendous embarrassment. An ill-conceived remake of talking-car drama "Knight Rider" sputtered and stalled. A pre-Thanksgiving variety special hosted by Rosie O'Donnell was a wretched stink bomb. The one-time marquee hit "Heroes" experienced a creative brain cramp and plunged in the ratings.
And do we even need to get into the train wrecks that are "My Own Worst Enemy," "Crusoe" and "Kath & Kim"? Just call it must-flee TV.
Things have gotten so bad for the Peacock that, earlier this week, "Newsday" columnist Verne Gay questioned whether NBC might be "the General Motors of network TV."
And looking ahead to midseason, it doesn't appear to be getting any better. NBC has announced that it will air its tired Donald Trump vehicle, "The Apprentice," in excruciating two-hour blocks. It will also offer yet another dance-competition show, along with a dating series from Ryan Seacrest called "Momma's Boys" and a hidden-camera prank show hosted by Howie Mandel. Remember, this is the network that gave us "The West Wing" and "Seinfeld." Sad, just sad.
On second thought, maybe it's not such a bad idea to air Leno five nights a week in prime time. Obviously, holding NBC programmers responsible for coming up with something fresh, innovative, and original is like trusting children to handle explosives.
I don't know if you intentionally intended to plagiarize this article but it's customary to reference a source when you post it verbatim:
http://www.mercurynews.com/tv/ci_11177203
12-12-08, 02:58 AM
#82
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Land of the Lobstrosities
Posts: 10,300
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
I heard Leno call into the Adam Carolla Show yesterday. He said they just started talking about this about a month ago. He said last year NBC offered him a half hour show at 8'oclock every night, but Jay turned it down because he didn't think a half hour format and that time slot would work. They went back and forth after that, tossing around ideas and came up with this about a month ago. Jay says he didn't want to leave NBC because he would have to go off the air for at least a year after he left and would lose almost all of his current staff. With this deal he'll only be off the air 6-8 weeks. Plus he said the late night slot would be too crowded if he went to another network.
Adam brought up Jay's past comments about the Conan/NBC deal, that Jay felt disrespected and that they were shoving him out. Jay played nice and said he was joking, but there was some truth to it. He basically said it was the network's decision back in 2004 make the deal to keep Conan and he didn't fight it. Adam said something like "So they instigated it?" and Leno said "Of course. It's not like I said 'Hey, I want to get thrown out on my ass!'" Obviously it's still a sore subject.
Leno said it wasn't in his blood to retire and besides he has a great setup, as he said "Write joke, tell joke, get paid". In what was probably a reference to Letterman he said he doesn't want to own a show and have to worry about firing people or budgets. He said means he probably gets paid less, but he gets paid plenty and doesn't have any of that stress.
Jay said they know they won't beat the regular shows every week, but they only do 22 shows a year and he's going to do 46 weeks. They plan to get murdered during sweeps but cleanup against reruns. It's not a bad plan as long as NBC is realistic about the numbers it will bring. Shows like CSI:Miami often do pretty good in reruns even when the competition is fresh but Leno's format is more inviting to sporadic viewing than most shows.
Adam brought up Jay's past comments about the Conan/NBC deal, that Jay felt disrespected and that they were shoving him out. Jay played nice and said he was joking, but there was some truth to it. He basically said it was the network's decision back in 2004 make the deal to keep Conan and he didn't fight it. Adam said something like "So they instigated it?" and Leno said "Of course. It's not like I said 'Hey, I want to get thrown out on my ass!'" Obviously it's still a sore subject.
Leno said it wasn't in his blood to retire and besides he has a great setup, as he said "Write joke, tell joke, get paid". In what was probably a reference to Letterman he said he doesn't want to own a show and have to worry about firing people or budgets. He said means he probably gets paid less, but he gets paid plenty and doesn't have any of that stress.
Jay said they know they won't beat the regular shows every week, but they only do 22 shows a year and he's going to do 46 weeks. They plan to get murdered during sweeps but cleanup against reruns. It's not a bad plan as long as NBC is realistic about the numbers it will bring. Shows like CSI:Miami often do pretty good in reruns even when the competition is fresh but Leno's format is more inviting to sporadic viewing than most shows.
12-12-08, 02:07 PM
#83
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Good for Jay for thinking about his staff. While he can easily not work for a year, probably a good amount of his crew can't afford to be out of work that long. Finding a job is probably pretty difficult due for most if they had to move on. Also a benefit for Jay since things go smoother working with the same people. While the staff might still get paid for the few months off the air (they will be working on the new show), Jay seems like the type of guy that would use his own money to help his staff get through (if they were not being paid).
Wasn't it Jay that paid his staff during the writer's strike.
12-12-08, 05:20 PM
#84
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Southside Virginia
Posts: 6,457
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Good for Jay for thinking about his staff. While he can easily not work for a year, probably a good amount of his crew can't afford to be out of work that long. Finding a job is probably pretty difficult due for most if they had to move on. Also a benefit for Jay since things go smoother working with the same people. While the staff might still get paid for the few months off the air (they will be working on the new show), Jay seems like the type of guy that would use his own money to help his staff get through (if they were not being paid).
Wasn't it Jay that paid his staff during the writer's strike.
12-12-08, 06:15 PM
#85
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Land of the Lobstrosities
Posts: 10,300
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Leno paid his non-writing staff, but not the striking writers. Leno also got heat not just for coming back but for telling jokes he wrote himself. The WGA made some noise and said he was in violation, but never sanctioned him.
12-13-08, 07:01 AM
#86
But it happened that way because you have to remember The Tonight Show is the property of NBC, and Leno has to work under those limitations. Letterman has full property rights on The Late Show through his Worldwide Pants company, and that's why he was able to negotiate a completely new contract with WGAe early.
12-13-08, 07:28 AM
#87
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Southside Virginia
Posts: 6,457
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
But it happened that way because you have to remember The Tonight Show is the property of NBC, and Leno has to work under those limitations. Letterman has full property rights on The Late Show through his Worldwide Pants company, and that's why he was able to negotiate a completely new contract with WGAe early.
12-13-08, 12:00 PM
#88
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Land of the Lobstrosities
Posts: 10,300
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Leno did get burned by NBC with the Conan deal. He could have followed Letterman's playbook and owned a show on another network. He probably could have owned this new show if he wanted to. I think Jay really wants to be seen as a "nice guy" almost to a fault and that excludes being the boss man.
Which reminds me...Personally I like Conan's show much better. He might do better ratings, he might not, but if he does well I bet he's not going to be the pushover Leno has been when it comes time to renew his contract.
Which reminds me...Personally I like Conan's show much better. He might do better ratings, he might not, but if he does well I bet he's not going to be the pushover Leno has been when it comes time to renew his contract.
12-14-08, 12:46 PM
#89
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
I never found Jay Leno that funny. Maybe it's that most of his jokes are obvious, juvenile-level sex material, maybe it's his delivery. I've always preferred Dave Letterman, and since I've gotten used to watching Craig Ferguson instead of switching over to Conan, this means I don't have to bother with NBC from 10:00 onward anymore. Thanks for making it easier on me, Peacock!
04-02-09, 11:43 PM
#92
DVD Talk Legend
Re: NBC Expected to Give 10 P.M. Show to Leno
NBC affiliate in Boston nixes new Leno show
Owner says program won't succeed; NBC threatens to strip affiliation
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30020928/
BOSTON - Boston’s NBC affiliate says it will air a local newscast instead of Jay Leno’s new 10 p.m. talk show.
The move by WHDH has prompted a threat from NBC to strip the TV station of its network affiliation.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here
Leno is leaving “The Tonight Show” in June, and his new prime-time program on NBC is scheduled to begin in September.
Ed Ansin, who owns WHDH’s parent company, told The Boston Globe he did not believe Leno’s new show would be successful. He said the station would do better financially with a news show that competes with Fox-affiliated WFXT-TV’s highly rated 10 p.m. newscast.
NBC TV Network president John Eck said in a statement that WHDH’s move is a “flagrant violation” of its contract with the network.
Owner says program won't succeed; NBC threatens to strip affiliation
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30020928/
BOSTON - Boston’s NBC affiliate says it will air a local newscast instead of Jay Leno’s new 10 p.m. talk show.
The move by WHDH has prompted a threat from NBC to strip the TV station of its network affiliation.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here
Leno is leaving “The Tonight Show” in June, and his new prime-time program on NBC is scheduled to begin in September.
Ed Ansin, who owns WHDH’s parent company, told The Boston Globe he did not believe Leno’s new show would be successful. He said the station would do better financially with a news show that competes with Fox-affiliated WFXT-TV’s highly rated 10 p.m. newscast.
NBC TV Network president John Eck said in a statement that WHDH’s move is a “flagrant violation” of its contract with the network.
04-02-09, 11:48 PM
#93
DVD Talk God
Re: NBC Expected to Give 10 P.M. Show to Leno
I read the station owner won't air Leno because he knows the ratings will suck and it will be a shitty lead-in for his 11pm news.
04-03-09, 12:04 AM
#95
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: NBC Expected to Give 10 P.M. Show to Leno
Considering Leno has been the top nighttime talk show for years, you'd think they'd at least let it run for a few months before deciding to have news instead of Leno. Now they've screwed themselves if they aren't an affilate anymore.
04-03-09, 12:07 AM
#96
DVD Talk Hero
Re: NBC Expected to Give 10 P.M. Show to Leno
They just really want a piece of that 10 o'clock news, which would be more profittable to the station (this is Boston afterall, local advertising will make a killing) than any nationwide broadcast. Leno will probably do very well in the 10 slot.
04-03-09, 01:05 AM
#97
DVD Talk Legend
Re: NBC Expected to Give 10 P.M. Show to Leno
WHDH-TV snubs Leno as 10 p.m. program
Channel 7 opts for news battle, drawing NBC's ire
By Johnny Diaz, Globe Staff | April 3, 2009
WHDH-TV Channel 7, Boston's NBC affiliate, is refusing to air Jay Leno's new talk show in the lucrative 10 p.m. hour in favor of its own hourlong local news show, and NBC doesn't like it one bit.
"WHDH's move is a flagrant violation of the terms of their contract with NBC," said John Eck, president of NBC Television Network. "If they persist, we will strip WHDH of its NBC affiliation. We have a number of other strong options in the Boston market, including using our existing broadcast license to launch an NBC-owned and operated station."
The decision to program local news instead of Leno, the longtime host of "The Tonight Show" who grew up in Andover, follows the runaway success of the 10 p.m. newscast on rival WFXT-TV Channel 25, Boston's Fox outlet. WFXT's newscast averaged 210,600 total viewers in the March ratings sweeps, while the 10 p.m. newscast on WHDH sister station WLVI-TV Channel 56 drew 43,800 total viewers. On some nights, WFXT's newscast beats network shows in the city, with help from lead-ins such as "American Idol" and "House."
Leno's show is scheduled to launch in September.
Ed Ansin, owner of WHDH and WLVI, believes a local newscast at 10 p.m., which he plans to simulcast on both stations, will draw better ratings than Leno.
"We feel we have a real opportunity with running the news at 10 p.m. We don't think the Leno show is going to be effective in prime time," Ansin said yesterday. "It will be detrimental to our 11 o'clock [newscast]. It will be very adverse to our finances."
Ansin wants to air Leno's show at 11 p.m., but he said NBC told him that "would not be feasible." For now, Ansin doesn't plan to air Leno at all, instead airing a local news show at 10 p.m., following it with the current news half-hour broadcast at 11, and Conan O'Brien's show at 11:35 p.m. when it begins this summer.
"There are a lot more viewers available at 10 o'clock," added Ansin who also owns Miami's WSVN-TV, a Fox affiliate that reaps strong ratings and revenue with its 10 p.m. newscast. Said Ansin, "It fundamentally is a better financial plan for us." Of WHDH, he added, "We are already suffering from weak lead-ins."
After dominating the lucrative 11 p.m. news race for more than a decade with its flashy graphics and focus on sports news, WHDH has seen its 11 p.m. newscast plummet to third place in the ratings in the last year, behind WBZ-TV Channel 4 and WCVB-TV Channel 5. The station laid off its executive news producer and two anchors, including longtime newsman Randy Price, who was replaced by Kim Khazei. The station recently unveiled its late night anchor team of Khazei and Frances Rivera - the only female duo on a Boston anchor desk. Channel 7 also redesigned its news desk and revamped its graphics to broadcast in high-definition.
Industry officials have noted that having Leno at 10 p.m. would cost a fraction of what a network might pay for a scripted series in that hour. The refusal to air Leno in prime time in the country's seventh-largest market could cost NBC much-needed ratings. The network has been in a ratings slump in recent years.
NBC officials are hopeful about Leno's arrival in prime time. His show will be similar to "The Tonight Show," which is a late-night ratings leader.
"The NBC affiliates are very excited about the new Leno show weeknights at 10 p.m.," Michael Fiorile, NBC affiliate board chairman, said yesterday in a statement to the Globe. "Jay is a true star with enormous appeal."
Ansin said his contract with NBC differs from those of affiliates that are owned and operated by the network.
"We have the option of not airing Leno at 10 o'clock."
04-03-09, 02:51 AM
#98
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: A few miles north of the Cape
Posts: 18,335
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Re: NBC Expected to Give 10 P.M. Show to Leno
"WHDH's move is a flagrant violation of the terms of their contract with NBC," said John Eck, president of NBC Television Network. "If they persist, we will strip WHDH of its NBC affiliation.
Ansin said his contract with NBC differs from those of affiliates that are owned and operated by the network.
"We have the option of not airing Leno at 10 o'clock."
"We have the option of not airing Leno at 10 o'clock."
04-03-09, 05:10 AM
#99
DVD Talk Legend
Re: NBC Expected to Give 10 P.M. Show to Leno
I'm curious to find out who. I remember back in the 1980s my local ABC affiliate decided not to run "NYPD Blue" during its first season because it was too racy, and ABC said they were powerless to stop non-ABC-owned affiliates from making such changes to their schedules. Obviously we're talking about a different network and a different decade, but you'd think a station in a market the size of Boston would have checked with its legal department before making a decision such as this.
It'll also be interesting to see if other affiliates follow suit.
It'll also be interesting to see if other affiliates follow suit.
04-03-09, 07:16 AM
#100
DVD Talk Legend
Re: NBC Expected to Give 10 P.M. Show to Leno
Leno will kill at 10pm. Boston's beef is that people used to watch the news while waiting for The Tonight Show. Now that it's on at 10pm (essentially), people will now go to bed before the news.