After suffering low-ratings on primetime, NBC announced that Jay Leno will return to late nights. Jeff Gaspin, the chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment, said Leno’s primetime talk show, which made its debut in September, “didn’t meet affiliates’ needs” and will end on February 12.
Gaspin also said negotiations with Leno and other late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien, as to who will end up on certain time slots, is ongoing.
In November, Leno took the 10 p.m. slot while O’Brien took over the ’Tonight Show’. Fallon, meanwhile, got ’Late Night’, which is O’Brien’s former show.
The plan, according to Gaspin, is for Leno to host a half-hour show starting 11:35 pm. ET. The show will then be followed by O’Brien who will be on air at 12:05 am. Fallon will then take on the 1 a.m. slot. According to Gaspin keeping the three hosts was the goal but a final deal has yet to be set.
Though Leno’s numbers did not greatly affect the network, the affiliates “kind of revolted and said we have to have better ratings”, said Variety analyst, Stuart Levine.
NBC’s affiliate board chairman, Michael Fiorile, said on Sunday that the decision was “a great move for the affiliates, the network and, most importantly, the viewers”.
Mediaweek analyst Marc Berman, however, believes that the move may put NBC in a difficult position that could eventually lead the network to lose the three hosts.
“My guess is down the road, they will give back Leno the ‘Tonight Show,’ leave it on at 11:35 p.m., and Conan will move to Fox”, Berman said. “But if I was either one of those gentlemen, I would be looking elsewhere right now”.
