Comments on: Jeff Zucker On Charlie Rose: Hate Me, But I’m A Leader http://www.mediaite.com/online/jeff-zucker-on-charlie-rose-no-regrets-depite-death-threats/ Mediaite Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:21:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=2012.06 By: thelowedown http://www.mediaite.com/online/jeff-zucker-on-charlie-rose-no-regrets-depite-death-threats/#comment-18534 thelowedown Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:00:25 +0000 http://www.mediaite.com/?p=73120#comment-18534 Jeff Zucker is the definition of a moron. In an attempt to be shrewd, he signed up Conan for the Tonight Show in 2004 and basically railroaded Leno int retirement. When it was clear Leno wanted to stay working, instead of possibly trying to delay a couple more years, Zucker went for the corporate cut mentality. He slashed expenses without realizing the ripple effect it would have on affiliates and the Tonight Show. Granted that Conan did not do well, but come on it took Jay time to beat Dave. Conan didn't even have enough time to do any tinkering to the show or format. Also, the ratings for Conan before the Jay Leno Show were solid and neck and neck in the demo. The total viewers weren't there, but he was fine in the demo. After the Jay Leno Show, the bottom fell out of all of Conan's numbers. Instead of setting the arbitrary 2009 timeline, Zucker should have just promised Conan a lot of money and the Tonight Show at the date of Leno's retirement (whenever that may have been). This was just another of Zucker's blunders since being NBCU chief. The man is an utter and unmitigated disaster. The only reason the cable properties do well is because he doesn't try to micromanage them all the time. Jeff Zucker is the definition of a moron.

In an attempt to be shrewd, he signed up Conan for the Tonight Show in 2004 and basically railroaded Leno int retirement. When it was clear Leno wanted to stay working, instead of possibly trying to delay a couple more years, Zucker went for the corporate cut mentality. He slashed expenses without realizing the ripple effect it would have on affiliates and the Tonight Show. Granted that Conan did not do well, but come on it took Jay time to beat Dave. Conan didn’t even have enough time to do any tinkering to the show or format. Also, the ratings for Conan before the Jay Leno Show were solid and neck and neck in the demo. The total viewers weren’t there, but he was fine in the demo. After the Jay Leno Show, the bottom fell out of all of Conan’s numbers. Instead of setting the arbitrary 2009 timeline, Zucker should have just promised
Conan a lot of money and the Tonight Show at the date of Leno’s retirement (whenever that may have been).

This was just another of Zucker’s blunders since being NBCU chief. The man is an utter and unmitigated disaster. The only reason the cable properties do well is because he doesn’t try to micromanage them all the time.

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