How will the new Tonight Show guy do?
TEXT OF STORY
Steve Chiotakis: Let’s call it “Tonight Show 5.0” or “Tonight, 5G.” Conan O’Brien takes over as host of NBC’s late night money-machine starting tonight after the late news. Much has been made about Jay Leno moving into prime-time next fall. But the stakes are even higher for Conan. Here’s Marketplace’s Jeff Tyler.
Jeff Tyler: NBC doesn’t need to worry about ratings tonight. Millions of people will tune-in to watch the new guy. But will they stick around?
Sam Armando: Conan may alienate some of the audience that The Tonight Show has typically had.
That’s Sam Armando, with Starcom Worldwide – an ad buying agency. He says Conan’s competitors are circling. TBS is set to launch a new late night talk show. And don’t forget that gap-toothed New York joker.
Dave Letterman: Welcome to the show. My name is Dave.
Brad Adgate is with Horizon Media. He says people already know David Letterman’s shtick.
Brad Adgate: Letterman will still be second in the time-period, behind O’Brien, and these cable shows will rank behind that.
Adgate expects ad rates for The Tonight Show will remain in the $35,000 to $50,000 range. But because of the lousy economy, all late-night advertisers might be asking for a discount next fall.
I’m Jeff Tyler for Marketplace.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
