AR&D Reinventing Local Media

I have said to the network affiliates for years that there will be no such thing as a lead-in anymore. People watch shows, they don't watch networks. But with NBC's Leno experiment, I'm willing to amend my theory for the time being. There are plenty of predictions out there. I'm not going to add mine. Instead, I think this move is about the only choice NBC had - to keep the concept of a lead-in going.

People don't generally TiVo talk shows, and the Leno audience is older, more news-focused. Mind you, I still think the lead-in concept is a dying one, and finding a way to extend its shelf life a touch is a Band-Aid. But if there were any way to have an audience stick around consistently, night after weeknight, this would be it.

If I were an NBC affiliate, I'd take it. Considering that NBC has already said it's getting out of the expensive drama business, what options are left? Hoping that a crappy reality show catches on for a night?

The Leno audience will be, if nothing else, consistent. Whether they stay up through the news is anyone's guess. (And when did Conan O'Brien become so irreplaceable?) This is hardly a reinvention, but if you're an NBC affil looking for a little consistency, I suppose this may do it. This is not a long-term solution (the audience ages every year) but maybe a quick fix is in order.

My colleague Terry Heaton says this is "NBC giving up." I agree that it's giving up on the way it used to do business. But I think NBC has been the boldest of the four networks in experimenting, and I'm all for giving it a try.