Leno to 10 PM

[Paul Anderson]

On Dec 8, 2008, at 9:51 PM, Scott Fybush wrote:

> Just as NBC gives affiliates flexibility to shift the extra hours of  
> Today around to meet local programming needs (we get hour 3 at 10,  
> instead of 9, and hour 4 at 11, instead of 10, so that our local  
> WHEC can run Regis and Kelly at 9), could some NBC stations end up  
> doing local news at 10 instead of 11, thus starting Leno at 10:37  
> and smoothly leading into Conan at 11:37 and Fallon at 12:37?
>
> I can't imagine WHDH doing that - they're already in the 10 PM news  
> business, after all, with the WLVI show - but I could imagine WNBC  
> giving it a shot, putting its struggling local news up against WNYW  
> and WPIX instead of the tougher competition at 11 from WABC and  
> WCBS, and then making WABC and WCBS face off against the second half- 
> hour of Leno at 11?

Why wouldn't WHDH do that?  Are their ratings for the 10 PM WLVI news  
that good that they wouldn't mind saving the extra cost of producing  
that hour?  They could just put something else on WLVI at 10.

Do you think NBC will allow stations to run Jay Leno after news at  
10?  Would stations have the leverage to change schedules like they  
did years ago?

Remember in the late 60s, after networks were only allowed to program  
three hours of prime-time between 7 and 11, that some network shows  
still started at 7:30 and stations had the 10:30-11 PM slot to fill?   
Could you imagine that happening now?  I remember WNHC New Haven  
(channel 8) running Alfred Hitchcock Presents as their lead-in to  
their 11 PM news.  Boy, have times changed.  Stations might now figure  
their local news is more valuable than Leno at 10.

Paul