My theory is Leno (who continues to beat Letterman in overall – which is to say elderly – viewers) simply saw a lot of his viewers turn 50 this year, knocking them out of the key 18-49 demo.
I’d call for the firing of the execs who chose Jay Leno over Conan O’Brien – if those execs weren’t dismissed by NBC’s parent company mere months after O’Brien was.
What’s missing from Deadline’s story on the matter is any mention of “Nightline,” which continues to beat both Leno and Letterman in the key demo.
Find all of Deadline’s story on the matter here.
