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Note to NBC: Move over Jay Leno and make room for Manny Pacquiao
Add a Comment December 10, 10:07 PM
by Ken Judah Freed, Media Industry Examiner
Jay Leno (AP File Photo)NBC shocked the broadcast television industry yesterday by announcing that Jay Leno will close out his stint at "The Tonight Show" on Friday, May 29, 2009, with Conan O'Brien taking over the following Monday. Leno, in turn, will take over the 10 PM Eastern timeslot with a daily weeknight variation on his current offerings. The Emmy-winning dramas that have dominated that hour will either be moved or cancelled.
I understand that NBC is losing audience share, which means losing advertising revenues. I understand that NBC wants to inject a winner into its prime-time schedule. This makes sense.
As much as I admire Leno's comedy and his skills as an informal interviewer, my judgement is that NBC is picking the wrong man for the job.
Leno does not strongly appeal to the all-important male and female 18-34 demographic, the primary target audience of all the broadcast, cable, satellite, and telecom video networks. Rightly or wrongly, this is the audience that most advertisers want to reach above all others today.
WBC lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao
celebrates after defeating Oscar De La Hoya
in Las Vegas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008.
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Therefore, if NBC wants to consistently win that weeknight timeslot, they need to merge entertainment with sports and make an offer to Filipino boxing champion and sex symbol Manny Pacquiao, who this week defeated Oscar De La Hoya by TKO after 8 rounds.
As any Internet search engine can tell you, Manny Pacquiao is attracting as many or more hits than any other sports celebrity in recent memory. He may be the leading object of admiration and lust.
Just imagine, each weeknight could feature Pacquiao in a different format.
On Mondays, Pacquiao could host "Boxing with the Stars," in which each week a Hollywood celebrity gets the tar beat out of him or her by an emerging male or female pugilist who wants national attention.
On Tuesdays, Pacquiao could host "Who Wants to be a Sports Millionaire," in which each week he asks sports trivia questions of eager fans who think they know everything there is to know about winning athletes, ranging from Max Baer to Jackie Robinson, from Olga Korbut to Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
On Wednesdays, Pacquiao could host "Whose Punchline is It, Anyway," in which each week rising young comics join old comedy pros live on stage to trade unrehearsed verbal jabs.
On Thursdays, Pacquiao could host "Olympic Sports Idol," in which aspiring athletes in every field of Olympic sports compete each week for audience votes with the winner joining the next Olympics team.
On Fridays, he could host "The Manny Pacquiao Show," a high-quality variety show, you know, the live show that NBC should have produced last week instead of the bomb it dropped with Rosie O'Donnell.
All kidding aside, I enjoy Jay Leno as much or more than anyone. He's done an outstanding job of filling "The Tonight Show" shoes left vacant by the great Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson.
If the Pea**** Network wants to regain its former prime-time glory and ratings, however, they'd be wise to let Jay go gently into that good late night. They'd be wise to program for the younger demographic audience and the ad revenues a younger audience attracts.
Move over Jay Leno and make room for Manny Pacquiao.
Add a Comment December 10, 10:07 PM
by Ken Judah Freed, Media Industry Examiner
Jay Leno (AP File Photo)NBC shocked the broadcast television industry yesterday by announcing that Jay Leno will close out his stint at "The Tonight Show" on Friday, May 29, 2009, with Conan O'Brien taking over the following Monday. Leno, in turn, will take over the 10 PM Eastern timeslot with a daily weeknight variation on his current offerings. The Emmy-winning dramas that have dominated that hour will either be moved or cancelled.
I understand that NBC is losing audience share, which means losing advertising revenues. I understand that NBC wants to inject a winner into its prime-time schedule. This makes sense.
As much as I admire Leno's comedy and his skills as an informal interviewer, my judgement is that NBC is picking the wrong man for the job.
Leno does not strongly appeal to the all-important male and female 18-34 demographic, the primary target audience of all the broadcast, cable, satellite, and telecom video networks. Rightly or wrongly, this is the audience that most advertisers want to reach above all others today.
WBC lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao
celebrates after defeating Oscar De La Hoya
in Las Vegas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008.
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Therefore, if NBC wants to consistently win that weeknight timeslot, they need to merge entertainment with sports and make an offer to Filipino boxing champion and sex symbol Manny Pacquiao, who this week defeated Oscar De La Hoya by TKO after 8 rounds.
As any Internet search engine can tell you, Manny Pacquiao is attracting as many or more hits than any other sports celebrity in recent memory. He may be the leading object of admiration and lust.
Just imagine, each weeknight could feature Pacquiao in a different format.
On Mondays, Pacquiao could host "Boxing with the Stars," in which each week a Hollywood celebrity gets the tar beat out of him or her by an emerging male or female pugilist who wants national attention.
On Tuesdays, Pacquiao could host "Who Wants to be a Sports Millionaire," in which each week he asks sports trivia questions of eager fans who think they know everything there is to know about winning athletes, ranging from Max Baer to Jackie Robinson, from Olga Korbut to Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
On Wednesdays, Pacquiao could host "Whose Punchline is It, Anyway," in which each week rising young comics join old comedy pros live on stage to trade unrehearsed verbal jabs.
On Thursdays, Pacquiao could host "Olympic Sports Idol," in which aspiring athletes in every field of Olympic sports compete each week for audience votes with the winner joining the next Olympics team.
On Fridays, he could host "The Manny Pacquiao Show," a high-quality variety show, you know, the live show that NBC should have produced last week instead of the bomb it dropped with Rosie O'Donnell.
All kidding aside, I enjoy Jay Leno as much or more than anyone. He's done an outstanding job of filling "The Tonight Show" shoes left vacant by the great Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson.
If the Pea**** Network wants to regain its former prime-time glory and ratings, however, they'd be wise to let Jay go gently into that good late night. They'd be wise to program for the younger demographic audience and the ad revenues a younger audience attracts.
Move over Jay Leno and make room for Manny Pacquiao.