NBC Says Leno Show To Be Tweaked; Denies Rumors Of Its Demise
NBC is denying a report that its prime-time talk experiment, the Jay Leno Show, is being canceled, but the network indicated that it will be tweaked.
A website called FTV on Thursday published a report saying Leno would be dropped, and the author of the report told KNX 1070 Newsradio that the show's demise could come as soon as next month.
NBC, however, is denying the report. Leno's show has had dismal ratings, but the network states that it has worked as promised: The program is so cheap to produce that NBC can get away with low viewership. The problem, however, is with unhappy affiliates, whose 11 p.m. news shows have been damaged by the trickling audience "lead-in" left to them by Leno's 10 p.m. program.
NBC hinted in statement that the show would be changed to appease them (via Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood):
"Jay Leno is one of the most compelling entertainers in the world today. As we have said all along, Jay's show has performed exactly as we anticipated on the network. It has, however, presented some issues for our affiliates. Both Jay and the show are committed to working closely with them to find ways to improve the performance."
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