NBC Universal: September 2009 Archives

So, this morning, I said that Leno's 4.5/8 share was a disaster for NBC and they should start to think about living in a post-Leno world. 

But this morning I was made aware of a statement by John Ferriter (head of WME's Non-Scripted Department) at the Producers Caucus Panel that all Jay Leno needed to get was a 1.5 share (A18-49) in order to make NBC $300 million. 

WHAT THE FUCK?!

Now by "make" I don't know if he means revenue (which doesn't make it a crazy statement) or profit (which makes it a crazy statement).  Either way - it's bullshit and I don't believe it. 

If this was true, why wouldn't every network do it?  Why wouldn't Jeff Zucker be screaming it from the rooftops to Wall Street?  Gossip Girl gets a 1.5 rating and The CW doesn't make shit.  I know... I know... it's not apples-to-apples - but it's still bullshit.

I started to wonder why John Ferriter would take such a bold stand and why does he really care?  Then I found the above picture of Mr. Ferriter with my old friend Ben Silverman in Vegas and it all made sense.  Seems to me Mr. Ferriter is just defending his friends' crazy business model.  Ben has dated quite a few crazy business models in the past - but none so bold and insane as the one that makes $300 million for 1.5 rating.  Now that's one hot model!

Why would NBC let such a genius get away?

So, according to my math, a 4.5/8 share should "make" NBC around $900 million. 

Jesus Christ!  The Broadcast Network business is a great business!

Jill Kennedy - OnMedea

Sorry, Jay.  The competition is only going to get tougher (just wait until you hit first-run episodes of those Thursday night dramas).

I hate for you to fail.  You're such a likable guy.  But I LOVE that Ben Silverman is failing (failing upwards, I suppose, but still failing!).

It's a real conundrum.

Good luck tonight against CSI: NY on CBS and Eastwick on ABC.  Okay, you might do fine against Eastwick - maybe even a 4.7/9 share!  Whoopee!

It may be time to get OctoMom and Kate Gosselin in some sort of a wresting match - because only stunts like that can help you now.

[Note to Angela Bromstad and Paul Telegdy at NBC:  You may want to contact Dick Wolf to get some more Law & Order iterations going.  Also, call Peter Roth over at Warner Bros. to see how long it might take to rebuild the ER set.]

Jill Kennedy - OnMedea

Tonight is either beginning of the end of NBC or the beginning of a new television business model.  I'm betting BIG on the former. 

It will be interesting to follow The Jay Leno Show's ratings for about a week and then the media will become bored reporting that Jay's numbers were, once again, 5.3 with a 7 share (2.3 / 4 18-49).  But at least for tonight, it's interesting.

All I can say is - Good Luck, Jay.  You'll still be a rich and successful man even though you are now the face of dying network.  (In truth, broadcast networks are already dead... but I digress.)

My predictions on how the NBC promotions department will spin tomorrow's ratings:

• Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.

• Because of the low production costs, we don't need home run ratings to make a big profit.

• Considering Jay was opposite the premiere of Monday Night Football, he did very well.

• Obviously, we were hoping for a much bigger number, but we firmly believe that the audience will grow once kids have adjusted to returning to school.

• Even though it was National Cream Filled Donut Day, we posted very strong numbers.

• If we would have known this was the date that Grace Kelly died in a car crash (in 1982), we probably would have waited to premiere Jay's show.

• There may have been some confusion by those people who haven't adapted to the Gregorian calendar.

Once again, good luck Jay.  You're in a no win situation.

Jill Kennedy - OnMedea