Are the real losers in the new higher stakes Late Night Wars Letterman and Kimmel? Not Leno and Conan?
Ellen K who is heard every weekday morning with Ryan Seacrest on top rated 102.7 KIIS FM in LA as well as 250+ US radio affiliates and dozes of foreign affiliates projected “as part of the quick settlement between Conan O’Brien and NBC for an early release, insiders are saying that we will now see Jay Leno re-introduced asap so as to catch the Winter Olympic audience surge on NBC all be it in promos alone to some degree. But the increased goodwill of the Olympics and audience size is a great assist to Leno to beat Letterman on CBS right out of the gate in his return. Then the same insider projected that Conan will recreate the idea of capturing the audience surge strategy as he launches his new late night show a half hour earlier than the Tonight show on FOX just in time to be part of the conversations on American Idol as the audience surges in expectation of the winner in mid May 2010″.
Of course there is still an opportunity for the negotiations to fall apart, but clearly, at this point it is in NBC and Fox’ interest to use the Olympic audience surge and American Idol surge for the benefit of their two late night shows vs Letterman and Kimmel. According to the sources, the resolution came down to not as much the size of the check as the ability for NBC to solve the situation before the start of the Olympics AND with O’Brien to be able to join Fox in time to take advantage of the American Idol Finale audience surge that will be a great assist to his premiere weeks later this year.
NBC Universal undoubtedly started out sincerely working to keep O’Brien on NBC in a 12:05 a.m. slot behind Leno, who will be reinstated at 11:35 p.m just in time for the Olympic audience surge at the network to minimally see the promos as to the return of Jay to the Tonight show.
