Comcast is working hard to make money off their new baby NBC. It’s no secret that NBC has underperformed its competition for years. The days of Cheers, Seinfeld, LA Law, Friends and ER are now syndicated and are memoir on DVD. However, the only real estate NBC could rely on for decades was The Tonight Show. With the exception of Letterman / Viacom, the Tonight Show has until recently done a great job of winning the ratings war.
The cost of producing a late-night talk show has very little overhead and in this cost-cutting era, NBC moved Jay Leno to primetime in September – it seemed like an easy fix for the now seriously wounded network. Leno has been a nighttime accessory for over 17 years. Moving it to prime time and handing the reins of Late Night to Conan O’Brien seemed like a natural and refreshing move.
The only thing that NBC has done well in recent years is to hold on to its fourth place in the rankings among American networks. As NBC ratings and ad dollars dwindled, Leno’s new slot was poised to stand out from its primetime competitors by putting a current affairs comedy in a time slot dominated by scripted dramas.
Keep in mind that producing a drama can cost up to five times more than a talk show. Although the price of a primetime show is much more expensive, a successful drama can pay back later with the sale and distribution of DVDs. The night depends on the moment to make money by relying on high audience ratings so the ad dollars keep coming in night after night.
Additionally, to allow for a smooth transition to the new time slot, NBC assured advertisers that they would receive the opportunity to participate by integrating their brand into the fabric of the late-night show. Leno’s audience was expected to follow him into his new time slot in which he put commercials on his show. Additionally, this would be a win for the local affiliates, as Leno would also give out live teasers for upcoming local news broadcasts at 11pm. Jay said ‘local news is next.’ After 20 seasons of Law & Order, creator Dick Wolf would never allow the defense or the prosecution to utter those words.
Back in May, when Jeff Zucker (CEO of NBC / Universal) made this daring programming decision, no one could have predicted the PR and rating nightmare now looming. In addition to potentially losing one of its talented hosts to the competition, NBC risks damaging the Tonight Show franchise (created in 1954 by Pat Weaver / father of Avatar actress Sigourney Weaver).
As luck would have it, O’Brien’s ratings dropped around the same time Letterman was giving people a new reason to tune in, by confessing his indiscretions regarding his affair with a staff member. Simply restoring the pre-September lineup isn’t the quick fix NBC needs. The nighttime landscape has changed enormously due to the fact that the most daring cable comedians, notably Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, have redefined late-night television (also owned by Viacom).
With regard to Mr. O’Brien, his future has never been brighter. As his team renegotiates for a possible 12:05 am programming slot, Fox has announced that they want to speak with Conan. Be careful though, as Fox has carefully swept his late-night tragedy under the programming mat. Does anyone remember The Chevy Chase show that quickly died after only 5 weeks on the air in 1993? Fox ‘currently’ has the award for having the biggest flop in late-night television history unless NBC decides to get that title as well.