Matt Buckler: NBC considers prime-time reduction
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Aug. 29—Here's something that may be headed for extinction — the 10 p.m. prime-time show.
At the current time, CBS, ABC, and NBC have 10 p.m. shows while Fox and the CW do not.
According to a report on Yahoo, however, NBC is considering cutting back on primetime from three hours per night to two hours.
It wants to give the hour back to its affiliates. Most of those stations will likely start their newscasts an hour early at 10 p.m.
The Hartford market has two 10 p.m. newscasts — one on WTIC-TV61 and another on WCTX-TV59. So Channel 30 could be providing some competition.
A few years ago, NBC ended its prime-time lineup at 10 so it could present Jay Leno five nights per week.
The move was a disaster — NBC affiliates were complaining that Leno wasn't providing a big enough lead-in for the 11 p.m. news.
Leno is retired, however, and NBC is ready to try the idea again. Perhaps the network executives only want an extra hour of sleep.
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Matt Buckler is television and radio editor of the Journal Inquirer.
Follow Matt Buckler for more television, radio, and sports coverage on the JI's Twitter @journalinquirer, and see his articles on the Journal Inquirer Facebook page.
