TEXT OF STORY

Bill Radke: NBC may be looking at canceling Jay Leno’s show. That’s the rumor anyway. Last night,
Leno had some fighting words for his bosses:

Jay Leno: If we did get canceled, it’d give us time to maybe do some traveling . . .

Man: That would be wonderful.

Leno: In fact, I understand Fox is beautiful this time of year.

As Marketplace’s Jennifer Collins reports, just as in comedy, this move is all about the delivery.

Jennifer Collins: The delivery of an audience to the evening news.

Basically, it’s Leno’s job — just like all the shows in that 10 p.m. slot — to get their viewers to tune in to local new at 11. Problem is, Leno hasn’t been doing that.

Bill Carroll is with Katz Television Group:

Bill Carroll: You’re looking at Jay Leno doing probably in some cases half of what the previous occupant of the time slot was doing.

And Carroll says for some stations, the 11 o’clock news brings in 15 or 20 percent of their ad revenue.

Carroll: It’s also for them a pride in that it’s the one thing that identifies the station.

So with the affiliates griping, the latest reports are Leno may soon be sent right back to where he came from: 11:30 p.m. Pushing current Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien even later into the night.

I’m Jennifer Collins for Marketplace.