Thread: Leno Moving Back to 11:30
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Old 01-07-2010, 06:19 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ew.com
NBC denies that Jay Leno is being yanked; says 'show has performed exactly as we anticipated'
by Lynette Rice
Categories: News, TV Biz, Television

NBC took the unusual step of responding to an internet report about the future of The Jay Leno Show and whether the network is on the verge of cancelling it. In the statement, NBC reiterated its commitment to the primetime talk show by saying “Jay Leno is one of the most compelling entertainers in the world today. As we have said all along, Jay’s show has performed exactly as we anticipated on the network. It has, however, presented some issues for our affiliates. Both Jay and the show are committed to working closely with them to find ways to improve performance.” In fact, the network’s annual affiliates meeting is reportedly set for later this month, during which Leno is sure to dominate the discussions. In the meantime, an NBC insider attempted to quash additional press reports about Leno moving back to The Tonight Show chair by insisting his show will not be cancelled at 10 p.m.

Concerns about the future of the fledgling talk show hit a fever pitch in November when Leno, of all people, told Broadcasting & Cable: “Would I have preferred to stay at 11:30? Yeah, sure.” His sentiment was no doubt colored by the show’s declining ratings. Though his talk show debuted at 18.4 million, it dropped to 4.3 million in just seven weeks (nowadays, Leno is averaging 5.32 million viewers and a 1.6 rating among adults 18-49). Meanwhile, ratings are down for the post-Leno local newscasts in several of the network’s top 10 markets, while Conan O’ Brien is routinely trounced by David Letterman a half hour later.

NBC has continued to maintain that it’s still cheaper to make a talk show than an hour-long drama, and even Leno admitted that his threshold for success is low. “I’m told if we can keep a 1.5 [rating], they make $300 million a year; this is what they say,” he told B&C. “So we’re a little above the 1.5, but we’re doing OK.” NBC affiliates have tried to stay optimistic. “Do we want higher ratings? Sure,” NBC affiliates board chairman Michael Fiorile told EW in November. “However much time has to pass … be it four to six months … if we’re not seeing any improvement, then we’ll start asking questions.”
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