The Leno-lution Begins! Boston Says No to Jay
Boston, it is often said, was the cradle of the American Revolution. And today it is the site of an all-out rebellion between a colony (the NBC affiliate) and its distant overlord (NBC). Boston's WHDH says it will not air Jay Leno's 10 p.m. talk show next fall, and will put a newscast in its place instead--the TV equivalent of a shot heard 'round the world.
The issue here: affiliates, whose late newscasts are already hurting from weak NBC ratings, are afraid a cheaper-but-lower-rated Jay at 10 p.m. will be the coup de grace for them. NBC has responded furiously, threatening to strip the station of its network affiliation. That's right—no more Kath and Kim for you, seditious scoundrels! At that point, WHDH would become independent, and would need to call on the naval assistance of the French and Spanish crowns.
Could this be the first of more rebellions? And what an interesting choice: Local news or Jay Leno? Jay Leno or local news? Death by fire or drowning?
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1
When WHDH starts dumping promo reels in the Harbor, I'll worry about this escalating.
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But in all honesty, this has been building for a while; not too long ago the NBC affiliates funded a study on this very matter: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/190391-NBC_Affils_Launch_Study_to_Shape_Leno_.php?rssid=20065 .
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Actually, what really surprises me is that the nightly newscasts are still profitable enough that the affiliates are worried about Leno materially impacting them. In my market, the newscasts are already jumping all over each other trying to offer the shortest summary of news/weather/sports to lead off the broadcast - and I am in the everyone is still awake after prime-time Central time zone. -
2
No no no, they are attacking the wrong problem, the problem is the remote. TV stations should demand that with the upcoming digital conversion, the government requires all new TVs to be sold without remotes and all old TV will get a government rebate to remove their remotes for all US households. This will see an increase of news veiwership because average joe will be too lazy to get off his @ss to change the channel between Leno and Connan. Step 2 will be to destroy the internet so people can't access their news or latenight programing anytime they want. Don't they realize, technology is destroying the country's airwaves?
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3
Couldn't an affiliate chose to air the newscast at 9, and Leno at 9:30, or does it not work that way?
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4
(10, sorry, I think in central time)
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5
I live in the Boston area, and all I can say is if I am prevented from being able to watch The Office, someone's going to pay.
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