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TMZ: Fox Already ‘Applying Pressure’ To Affiliates To Clear 11 p.m. For CONAN O'BRIEN!!

Published at:  Mar 20, 2010 12:20:41 AM CDT

I am – Hercules!!


From TMZ:

… we've learned execs at several major Fox affiliates are saying a [Conan O’Brien show] deal is "imminent."


Apparently Fox so serious about Conan now it’s hounding its affiliates to clear the 11 p.m. hour. (It makes sense to start pressuring the affiliates early, since contracts with the syndicators filling that hour for local Fox stations tend to be long-term.)

Say what you will about TMZ hounding Chad Lowe as he exits the Sherman Oaks Pinkberry, but TMZ was the first to report NBC’s intent to return Jay Leno to 11:35, and the first to report the next week that Leno was getting “Tonight” back too.

Find all of TMZ’s story here.


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    Readers Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 4:15:00 PM CDT

    BAD MOVE, COCO! TRUST YOUR FANS!

    by doctor cosmic

    The times have changed. A network late night talk show just isn't where it's at.

    Now, take it somewhere on cable, with no restrictions, and simulcast it online...then you've got something.

    That said, wherever you land, I'll be watching.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 4:20:21 PM CDT

    no one said they dont get the scoop

    by brechtsky

    just that they are everything wrong with the world... and I actually used to work there (for two weeks, had to quit because hearing people shouting the latest hilton news back and forth all day to each other is almost worse than shooting yourself in the face).

    The "british-ification" of our tv and news has got me very worried ... all reality tv almost all the times these days, and to top it off, our biggest "journalism" outlets are more like the tattler every day.

    Reporting on news = good, reporting on peoples personal lives and relationships = pathetic.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 4:25:05 PM CDT

    Coco Lives!

    by monsterkilledthepilot

  • Mar 18, 2010 4:30:04 PM CDT

    Yesssssssss

    by hapapapa72

    I had to pull up some good Conan bits in honor of St. Paddy's day yesterday. Can't wait to see him again.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 4:35:29 PM CDT

    This means I won't get my Simpsons/Seinfeld fix anymore?

    by yackbacker

    That sucks. Those shows are much funnier than Conan.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 4:35:53 PM CDT

    Doctor Cosmic

    by hercules

    You got to remember that Fox is now the #1 network, and "American Idol" and Simon Cowell's new show are going to give Conan much better numbers than "Law & Order" or "The Marriage Ref."

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 4:42:16 PM CDT

    First chevy chase

    by series7

    Then spike feresten, then wanda sykes NOW CONAN! MAN FOX has been killing it through the ages in late night talk show buisness.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 4:43:22 PM CDT

    YackBacker

    by son of a butch

    DVD. Heard of it?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 4:44:30 PM CDT

    How is Idol

    by series7

    Going to give Conan better numbers when it finishes at 9 and Conan isn't coming on until 11:30? I guess a majority of America is still without a remote control?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 4:45:00 PM CDT

    SOB

    by yackbacker

    Yes, I have. I'm sure Conan could make DVDs too.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 4:46:46 PM CDT

    Oh wait yeah

    by series7

    Sorry central time. So I guess their will only be an hour break.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 4:57:34 PM CDT

    Yeah all the cool trendy

    by series7

    College kids who back conan will only get your ratings so far. Which is not at all since they don't watch late night talk shows.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 5:00:05 PM CDT

    Fuck it, let FOX lose money on Conan next

    by yackbacker

    A little FIREFLY karma coming back to kick that twat Murdoch in the... twat!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 5:06:01 PM CDT

    lostboytexass

    by charger

    If you have been paying attention to this site at all, its pretty obvious there are a lot of people who care and DO watch Conan.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 5:13:31 PM CDT

    Do a comedy show without the guests.

    by mr spork

    Another show where celebrities shill their latest shitty movie isn't necessary.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 5:21:50 PM CDT

    This good for Conan!

    by judaspriestly

    Being on FOX, Conan will be unrestricted in what he wants to do. I hope Robert Smigel follows him too.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 5:30:58 PM CDT

    Conan & Jay deserve eachother!!

    by hucksterfinn

    Fuck latenight TV! We are the fools for watching. I would pay good money to kill and eat Jeff Zucker, and to share his meat with a starving African family.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 5:43:40 PM CDT

    Series 7

    by willyer hero

    I think they're talking about 11/10 Central.
    Here in CST-land, Fox programs 7-9pm nationally, local news from 9-10pm. News lead-in wise, the biggest difference Conan will be up against is an hour of news between his show and primetime instead of just a half hour on NBC and CBS.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 5:47:31 PM CDT

    There's no Pinkberry in Sherman Oaks

    by professortrout

    ...just saying.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 5:53:59 PM CDT

    fuck DVD for watching Simpsons/Sinefeld

    by tall_boy66

    Half the fun of seeing it on TeeVee is not knowing what episode you're gonna see next (unless you have the season episodes memorized. In that case, whoa). But where I live, there's Simpsons at 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 AM, on various stations and Sinefeld on various times too so CoCo taking over the 11 PM simpsons rerun is okay.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 6:14:30 PM CDT

    At least Conan won't be censored.

    by onin solstice

    Masterbating animals of the forest unite! Your back in the line up! NBC skewed Conan's edge while on Tonight Show, which hurt him. Now he won't give a shit! Get back to Joel Goddard making sweet love to his clone, while another clone watches on in delight.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 6:15:08 PM CDT

    That's kinda cool that Conan's coming back...

    by master bruce

    BUT, isn't it true that he's going to have only about 60% of the Fox affiliates onboard by this fall, and that it might take as much as a year or 2 until he can get the rest as syndication deals expire? If so, just what kind of ratings are Fox expecting? He's not gonna get anywhere near Leno or Letterman's numbers w/support like that.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 6:23:08 PM CDT

    There's one too many Conan talkbacks in Coaxial

    by bumlove

    Everything that needs to be said by talkbackers has already been said.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 6:31:23 PM CDT

    Cross-promotion is going to make Conan's show HUGE

    by slimbutnotreally

    Think of the possiblities. FOX has so much to work with. American Idol has a billion viewers every night. What if they spend the entire show promoting how one of the American Idol singers will be on Conan later? It will do HUGE numbers...and they could even bring Conan on to do some comedy bits on AI.Conan is going to be the king of late night....very soon.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 6:54:05 PM CDT

    davy crocket is dead

    by brabon300

    rip fess parker

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 7:11:49 PM CDT

    TMZ also broke the Fess Parker story today

    by jimbojones123

    I just saw online that TMZ is reporting that Fess Parker has passed away. Most noted for playing Davy Crockett, Fess was an extremely talented actor and Disney legend. According to a rep, he passed from natural causes. He was 85 years old.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 7:27:03 PM CDT

    Herc

    by sasson

    "You got to remember that Fox is now the #1 network, and "American Idol" and Simon Cowell's new show are going to give Conan much better numbers than "Law & Order" or "The Marriage Ref."

    The problem is the people who watch American Idol are not going to be watching Conan. They are the kinds of people who make Leno important. It would have been like HBO airing The Wire after SEx and the City. Different audiences. Doesn't matter how popular the earlier show was.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 7:52:41 PM CDT

    Conan's first guests:Bart Simpson and Stewie

    by thanos0145

    Being on FOX should help his show.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 8:13:09 PM CDT

    fuck tmz, i broke the fess parker death

    by brabon300

    oh, and i bet that the academy doesnt honor him either, despite all the disney movies he did

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 18, 2010 8:24:15 PM CDT

    ...team COLBERT

    by yourstepdaddy

    ...I was a big fan of CoCo but i been TEAM COLBERT for the past three or so years... let me see Conan pull out a pot of weed on air!... but chill my babies

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 19, 2010 2:40:38 AM CDT

    Dog turds with puke on them are better than Leno!!

    by yeah i'm a jerk!

    Bring on Conan!!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 19, 2010 4:55:09 AM CDT

    But the most interesting story to come out of TMZ

    by the mcpoyle clan

    today was a drunken Xander resisting arrest, being tased, and charged with felony vandalism. Too bad he fell off the wagon.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 19, 2010 8:46:22 AM CDT

    I'm pretty sure everyone saw this coming

    by sithmenace

    O'Brien and FOX are a good fit, and I mean that in a good way. It's also smart for FOX to get him on at 11, which I think will make him the first Late Night program after prime time.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 19, 2010 2:02:46 PM CDT

    I heard they might lease the old studio.

    by rev. slappy

    I read yesterday that Fox may lease the studio NBC refurbished to house the Conan Tonight Show. That would be weird.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 19, 2010 3:09:41 PM CDT

    Fox would be a mistake on Conan's part

    by rodie

    Go to Comedy Central and follow The Daily Show and Colbert Report every night. You'll have free-reign on Cable and that will really play to your base. Sign a 2-year deal with Comedy Central, and then if Letterman retires at the end of 2012, bolt to CBS to take over the Late Show. If Letterman sticks it out a few more years, just keep re-upping with Comedy Central.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 19, 2010 4:32:33 PM CDT

    why 11 pm?

    by paulloch

    just do it at 12. So, it won't compete with CC programming, which is the target audience. And the affiliates get the office/simpsons syndication money they need to stay profitable.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 20, 2010 1:03:22 AM CDT

    I really want to hate TMZ but...

    by heavenlykid

    It does break some pretty big stories. Just wish they did less legalized stalking...er...I mean... celebrity reporting.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 20, 2010 1:48:49 AM CDT

    "Say what I will about TMZ" - o.k....

    by darthcorleone

    I wish it were dead.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 20, 2010 4:57:31 AM CDT

    ,,,but all the cool kids watch Stewart and Colbert!

    by flandersbum

    That's where we get our news these days, from comedy shows! If he were really smart, Conan would get his own half hour news parody show on Comedy Central where he makes fun of conservatives and gives biased interviews.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 20, 2010 8:37:46 AM CDT

    I'd rather watch Seinfeld and The Office reruns...

    by coughlins laws

    Also, you do realize that Fox programming ends at 10 pm, right Herc? Explain how Idol will be on and then people will watch ONE HOUR of local news, and then watch Conan O'Brien? Do you really think Conan stands a chance? He'll be on agains Stewart at 11pm, then will come in a convincing fourth place behind Leno, Letterman, and Nightline. But you'll be watching him, right?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 20, 2010 11:20:19 AM CDT

    Wait for Dave, Conan

    by betaraybill07

    Herc and Doc Cosmic have points, but wait sir. Dave has 2-3 years left. Keep making noise, sit on your throne and snipe for awhile, and Les Moonves will be pounding on your door soon enough.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 20, 2010 11:21:31 AM CDT

    there are no nielson boxes in dorms and hardly any in apartments

    by wickedjacob

    until that is fixed, why do networks think they can use nielsen to figure out 18-25 year olds?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 20, 2010 11:24:29 AM CDT

    BetaRay, I think Conan likes to work

    by wickedjacob

    He's doing a cross-country tour while he's not on TV. I don't get the feeling he'd be happy sitting around "making noise." He's always been one to work hard rather than sit around and wait for something to fall in his lap. That's why people like him.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 20, 2010 9:44:46 PM CDT

    Wicked Jacob

    by timahh

    relatively speaking, Nielsen announced not too long ago(2 years maybe)that they were putting boxes in more college kids dorms and what not. I'm a college kid living in an on campus apartment and i got a box(suck on that nerds, my opinion on tv matters.....and no i won't watch fringe or whatever it is you ask me to save with my awesome nielsen wielding powers.)

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 21, 2010 8:38:37 AM CDT

    They don't just use the boxes. They also send out

    by coughlins laws

    viewer journals and rely on 4 or 5 other forms of feedback to arrive at their rating numbers. It's not an exact science, but it comes pretty darn close. Most people don't question firms like Gallup, who can accurately predict election results within a point or two by only talking to a thousand people or less. It's the same kind of thing. They can sample a small cross-section of different types of people and accurately find out who's watching what. And if you don't believe they can, tough. Stop watching Conan on youtube and hulu and admitting you never watch him live...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 21, 2010 8:58:22 PM CDT

    Herc: Where is your "Reruns of [Show X] Beats Leno"?

    by darfurontherocks2

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