NBC Looks to Relocate Leno

NEW YORK: NBC is said to be working on a plan to move Jay Leno back to the 11:35 p.m. weeknight slot after poor ratings for the former late-night host’s 10 p.m. show.

Under pressure from affiliate stations that are anxious about the poor lead-in for their 11 p.m. newscasts from the 10 p.m. slot—formerly home to pricier drama series on the network—NBC is reportedly working on a plan that would restore Leno to 11:35 p.m., while the man who replaced him, Conan O’Brien, would shift back by half an hour to 12:05 a.m. The Jay Leno Show at 10 p.m. has been struggling against prime-time drama on the other networks, averaging about 5 million viewers a night. Meanwhile, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien has been losing ground to The Late Show with David Letterman; Leno previously topped Letterman in the late-night arena.

Some reports indicate that Leno has agreed to the proposed new arrangement, while talks are ongoing with O’Brien. The new lineup would be in place for once NBC concludes its coverage of the Winter Olympics. The network also needs to figure out what to do with the 10 p.m. slot; one option is to air some of the popular dramas from sister cable network USA.