Conan's ratings are up 40%. How long will NBC put up with his NBC/Leno bashing?

[onehandle]

[SemiCharmedQuark]

1. February. That's when this has to be settled by.

But NBC is not coming out of this well.

[tridim]

2. I'm surprised he was allowed to broadcast all this week.

But there is also the reality of filling the slot with programming. Jay can't just move in to Conan's studio.

I bet they want him gone now, but they have no other choice than to let the show go on and take their hits.

[bridgit]

3. His show last night was the funniest, most freewheeling - Leno & NBC have it coming...

[harkadog]

4. They will put up with it as long as they are making money off of it.

[rucky]

5. Yup

[Arugula Latte]

6. Hey, NBC: Put Jay out to pasture.

Permanently.

[rocktivity]

9. I agree--if one of them has to go, it should be Leno

I don't watch late night at all, and looking at this purely from a business angle, Conan is the more bankable of the two in the long run. After all, it isn't a question of whether Conan can prove himself in that time slot.


rocktivity

[rocktivity]

7. When in doubt, follow the money

I don't believe for one second that Leno would agree to a half-hour show. But then again, I didn't believe that NBC believed that moving Leno to 10PM could possibly work. When things like this don't just make sense, I look at the role the money could be playing.

If they moved Leno rather than broadcast a program to save money, they've failed. But if they moved Leno expecting HIM to fail, and are trying to save money (and their corporate faces) by humilating Conan into quitting rather than firing him, they've succeeded.


rocktivity

[abelenkpe]

8. I've never ever found Leno funny

or entertaining. Perhaps it's just me tho.

[tularetom]

10. I understand how Conan feels but he should not quit

He should stay in his 12:05 slot and just blast the living shit out of Leno and the NBC suits every night.

Eventually they will have to make a choice and they will probably choose Leno and fire Conan.

But the hit to Leno's already shaky reputation could well be fatal. He's damaged goods now, he may not be repairable after a couple months of trashing by Conan, Ferguson and David Letterman.

[onehandle]

11. I don't know. Conan could walk with a Giant payout, go to Fox and skewer NBC/Leno forever.

I couldn't say I wouldn't enjoy that. I would bet that the useless NBC suits are assuming this is what would happen.

The winner, of course, would be Letterman in the long run. Conan will do well, no matter what.

And yes, Leno the Arnold loving dinosaur, has been irreparably damaged.

[rocktivity]

12. DING DING DING! Tularetom, you're our grand prize winner!

I understand how Conan feels but he should not quit...Eventually they will have to make a choice and they will probably choose Leno and fire Conan...

I think that's exactly what's going on: Getting Conan to quit will cost NBC less than firing him, and far less than getting rid of Leno. If you read Conans statement, he doesn't say that he's going to quit, just that he'll refuse to take the midnight slot and that wants to "resolve" the situation. That means they'll have to keep paying him or fire him--though Leno's the one whose ratings are so bad he can be on the air for only half an hour.


rocktivity

[FVZA_Colonel]

13. It's being reported his last show is sometime next week.

So I'd say "two weeks."