NBC Universal President and CEO Jeff Zucker said he’d like to keep Jay Leno in the NBCU family and “we are in those conversations now,” but he also said flatly: “Late Night” host “Conan O’Brien will take over ‘The Tonight Show’ in 2009.”
Three years after the pivotal late-night transition was announced, Mr. Leno has begun to make clear that he has no intention of retiring from TV. Fox Broadcasting already has expressed interest in offering Mr. Leno a new home.
In what amounted to an hour-long lightning round of timely questions put to him by the New Yorker’s media writer Ken Auletta at a breakfast staged by Syracuse University’s Newhouse School in New York, Mr. Zucker also said:
“It’ll be a real watershed event as to whether people come back to scripted television” in healthy numbers after a strike at the beginning of a season already struggling with widespread erosion, Mr. Zucker said.
He said NBCU’s decision to stop making its content available to Apple iTunes boiled down to a “serious disagreement” about price point and profit sharing. Despite NBCU being the source of about 40 percent of the content sold, at $1.99 per download, it produced only a $15 million cut for NBCU last year. Mr. Zucker said NBCU had sought to take one show out for $2.99 as an experiment, but Apple would not budge. “That made it an easier decision,” Mr. Zucker said.
Hulu.com, the content downloading partnership NBCU and Fox began testing Monday, is an attempt to offer “superstore” appeal to consumers and a “safe” environment to advertisers.
Asked whether FBN isn’t like the New York Post’s edgy business section, which former G.E. Chairman Jack Welch once declared he liked, Mr. Zucker said: “I work for Jeffrey Immelt, not Jack Welch.”
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Comments (29)
Conan and Zucker are two of a kind. Can't wait
to see Jay on Fox!
Posted by Ron & Anna Winship | October 29, 2007 12:51 PM
CAN'T WAIT TO SEE NBC FALL AND FAIL WILL BE SEEING THE GAMES FROM A CANADIAN STATION, WHERE THE KNOW HOW FILM THINGS!!!!
Posted by Dave L | October 29, 2007 1:03 PM
CAN'T WAIT TO SEE NBC FALL AND FAIL WILL BE SEEING THE GAMES FROM A CANADIAN STATION, WHERE THE KNOW HOW FILM THINGS!!!!
Posted by Dave L | October 29, 2007 1:03 PM
CAN'T WAIT TO SEE NBC FALL AND FAIL WILL BE SEEING THE GAMES FROM A CANADIAN STATION, WHERE THE KNOW HOW FILM THINGS!!!!
Posted by Dave L | October 29, 2007 1:03 PM
CAN'T WAIT TO SEE NBC FALL AND FAIL WILL BE SEEING THE GAMES FROM A CANADIAN STATION, WHERE THE KNOW HOW FILM THINGS!!!!
Posted by Dave L | October 29, 2007 1:03 PM
You want to post that again, Dave?
And turn off your caps lock, moron.
Posted by Mark Jeffries | October 29, 2007 2:11 PM
lighten up jeffries. he's canadian
Posted by bud abbott | October 29, 2007 2:27 PM
Yes I am afraid it is true. Canadians have this mass inferiority complex, so one post wouldn't do it...
Posted by Red Blanchard | October 29, 2007 2:52 PM
Sorry - Conan lacks the class needed for The Tonight Show. Sorry, Zucker, you're wrong. Here's one loyal watcher that won't be watching Conan!
Posted by Carol | October 29, 2007 3:28 PM
Conan will get his ass kicked by both Letterman and Leno. Heck, Kimmel will probably beat him too.
Posted by Ron D | October 29, 2007 4:01 PM
This is the same guy who has eliminated NBC from
the Top Ten and with one execption from the Top
20. And now he's gonna kill NBC's Late Night. Go
BACK EAST, Jeffy Boy.....fluid dynamics at its best.
Posted by 524 W 57th | October 29, 2007 4:31 PM
And now Heroes sucks too.
Posted by Seymour | October 29, 2007 4:50 PM
all you 'experts' are clueless for non-canadians! conan draws a strong younger-demographic and will do fine. nbc will pair him with jimmy fallon and make plenty of $$$. letterman will be gone by 2010 and replaced by jon stewart. and leno will still be at nbc.
Posted by wallygator | October 29, 2007 6:17 PM
conan will fall on his face and take nbc with him. and that will be a good thing.
conan is not funny. he is not a good host.all he knows how to do is that stupid jump and turn and shake his hair.come on nbc get real!!!!
Leno is the one.think it over.
Posted by jo jo | October 29, 2007 9:53 PM
conan will fall on his face and take nbc with him. and that will be a good thing.
conan is not funny. he is not a good host.all he knows how to do is that stupid jump and turn and shake his hair.come on nbc get real!!!!
Leno is the one.think it over.
Posted by jo jo | October 29, 2007 9:53 PM
Conan IS funny, but I agree he lacks the polish to host the Tonight Show. Of course, audiences change (we're all getting older) and hosts have to change with them. Maybe Conan will work out. I clearly recall thinking Leno was WAY WRONG for the Tonight Show, yet here he is. Stay tuned.
Posted by Clay | October 30, 2007 6:44 AM
I agree with the comments above...Conan does NOT have the stuff to step into the footprints left by Jay, Johnny, Jack and Steve. Jay may want to do something else, but somehow, I would bet that he could be coaxed into renewing his commitment.
Zucker should go play somewhere else...like in a sandbox and he can take Leslie, (and his talentless wife), with him!
Time for less BS, better programming sense and direction at NBC & CBS.
Posted by Peter Bright | October 30, 2007 7:41 AM
First off, Jeff Zucker is a fantastic competitor and a great leader. You naysayers don't have enough exposure to or understanding of NBC's broad strategy to appreciate all that he is doing. More importantly, the momentum for the decline of primetime was set in motion YEARS before Zucker took the helm out west - because a bunch of old shows were going off the network. He couldn't control THAT. And by the way - one network program executive can't control much of anything - it takes a lot of good luck with program development - which is why, no matter who the leadership is, the process of network dominance in entertainment is so cyclical and unpredictable. Zucker made the point on Monday that it's been YEARS since one network could dominate. He's right! At any one time, a network is lucky to develop one or two hits. For example, ABC had LOST and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. CBS had CSI and SURVIVOR. NBC has 30 ROCK and THE OFFICE. And so it goes.
So please, stop the naysaying.
As for Conan - he's terrific! I remember a time, not that long ago, when they said NO ONE could replace Carson - and look how well Leno did.
Remember, folks: Contempt prior to investigation is a dangerous thing. Try being more open and less negative!
Posted by Doctor Media | October 30, 2007 8:25 AM
You ROCK "Doctor Media." Love your comments - and totally agree.
Posted by Corinne Harradine | October 30, 2007 11:30 AM
NBC
When Jay goes off the Tonight Show........
so do I. I will never watch it again when Jay is being replaced without cause. Jay is the classiest guy on TV.
Posted by Savannah Raines | October 31, 2007 10:36 AM
Jay has to repeat each punch line at least twice, back to back; Anybody else notice this?
Posted by Red Blanchard | October 31, 2007 1:34 PM
I'm looking forward to 2009 and Conan's elevation just so that I can watch the Tonight Show again! Not that I have missed it -- between Dave Letterman (my favorite) and Daily Show/Colbert Report, I have no time to watch Leno, who, IMO, is just miserable. Frankly, them choosing him over Letterman 14 years ago probably started whatever decline that finally killed the legendary Carson, who favored Letterman. I have no respect for the execs at NBC - and I will be pleased to see Jay Leno go away. Frankly, I hope he retires. Not that it matters to me what he does, because even if he does do anohter TV show, I won't be watching. Zucker says he's not Welch's guy. True. Well, Welch backed Leno (and later said that the choice was a huge mistake). Mainstream Amurrica loves Jay. Good for them; I want nothing to do with mainstreamers anyway. But I will be pleased just knowing that Leno is off the Tonight Show. The damage he has done to the franchise just sickens me, and the knowledge that so many people actually prefer this guy... well, it frightens me and makes me worry for the future of this country.
Posted by Natalie Davis | November 17, 2007 11:43 AM
Natalie, You are a genius. How does Leno being number one translate into destroying a network? What is your agenda bitter women?
Posted by Steve YU | November 18, 2007 10:27 PM
If Ben silverman doesn't produce any hits, then NBC is finished.
The only hit NBC had for a minute was"Heroes", the show is now #30 in the Nielsen ratings and losing viewers rapidly because of stupid storylines by a hack writer named Tim Kring.
And to make matters worst" Heroes" was stolen from two NYC artists by Tim Kring.
Both artists filed a lawsuit against NBC and Tim Kring in a NYC federal court in March 2007.
The lawsuit is now in judge Denise Cote's courtroom, this judge tried Tyco executive Dennis Koslowski.
Mr. Koslowski was sentenced to 25 years in prison early 2007.
This lawsuit has had a profound effect on "Heroes" storylines, leaving the hack writer Tim Kring to rely on his own talent. ( and thanks to his lack of writing talents, Heroes ratings are in the mud).
Tim Kring said in a recent interview that " he taught the viewing audience a certain type of storytelling" with Heroes.
FYI: The viewing audience rewarded his efforts by changing the channel to the "I love new York" show.
Which was number one in it's time slot.
Low ratings ,silly shows, hack writers, buying stolen copyrighted work, lawsuits, a writer's strike, the popularity of youtube, myspace etc...
NBC FOR SALE?
WHAT IS THERE TO SELL?
Posted by TRUTHMACK | November 26, 2007 8:09 AM
If Ben silverman doesn't produce any hits, then NBC is finished.
The only hit NBC had for a minute was"Heroes", the show is now #30 in the Nielsen ratings and losing viewers rapidly because of stupid storylines by a hack writer named Tim Kring.
And to make matters worst" Heroes" was stolen from two NYC artists by Tim Kring.
Both artists filed a lawsuit against NBC and Tim Kring in a NYC federal court in March 2007.
The lawsuit is now in judge Denise Cote's courtroom, this judge tried Tyco executive Dennis Koslowski.
Mr. Koslowski was sentenced to 25 years in prison early 2007.
This lawsuit has had a profound effect on "Heroes" storylines, leaving the hack writer Tim Kring to rely on his own talent. ( and thanks to his lack of writing talents, Heroes ratings are in the mud).
Tim Kring said in a recent interview that " he taught the viewing audience a certain type of storytelling" with Heroes.
FYI: The viewing audience rewarded his efforts by changing the channel to the "I love new York" show.
Which was number one in it's time slot.
Low ratings ,silly shows, hack writers, buying stolen copyrighted work, lawsuits, a writer's strike, the popularity of youtube, myspace etc...
NBC FOR SALE?
WHAT IS THERE TO SELL?
Posted by TRUTHMACK | November 26, 2007 8:10 AM
If Ben silverman doesn't produce any hits, then NBC is finished.
The only hit NBC had for a minute was"Heroes", the show is now #30 in the Nielsen ratings and losing viewers rapidly because of stupid storylines by a hack writer named Tim Kring.
And to make matters worst" Heroes" was stolen from two NYC artists by Tim Kring.
Both artists filed a lawsuit against NBC and Tim Kring in a NYC federal court in March 2007.
The lawsuit is now in judge Denise Cote's courtroom, this judge tried Tyco executive Dennis Koslowski.
Mr. Koslowski was sentenced to 25 years in prison early 2007.
This lawsuit has had a profound effect on "Heroes" storylines, leaving the hack writer Tim Kring to rely on his own talent. ( and thanks to his lack of writing talents, Heroes ratings are in the mud).
Tim Kring said in a recent interview that " he taught the viewing audience a certain type of storytelling" with Heroes.
FYI: The viewing audience rewarded his efforts by changing the channel to the "I love new York" show.
Which was number one in it's time slot.
Low ratings ,silly shows, hack writers, buying stolen copyrighted work, lawsuits, a writer's strike, the popularity of youtube, myspace etc...
NBC FOR SALE?
WHAT IS THERE TO SELL?
Posted by TRUTHMACK | November 26, 2007 8:10 AM
Bring back the NBA on NBC!
Posted by Jim Johnson | May 6, 2008 7:39 PM
All Canadian networks like CTV and Global do is hijack American shows from NBC, CBS, FOX and ABC.
Get your own shows you damn Canadians!!!!
Posted by Larry Renforth | May 6, 2008 7:40 PM
I am sorry wallygator but I strongly disagree with you, as a young watcher of "The Tonight Show" I cannot stand to watch Conan O'Brien what so ever, he is ignorant and plain and simple NOT FUNNY!!!! Get your facts straight before you say he has a strong young population fan-base you moron
Posted by surfsideup11 | May 13, 2008 9:27 PM