Networks Baffled by Late Night Ratings Dip
Written by: Rob Van Winkle, CC2K Staff Writer
Source: Variety
Across the board, late night talk shows have suffered steep ratings declines over the past few months, compared to the numbers from the previous quarter. Network executives from all channels in the late night game have expressed concern and confusion by the sudden malaise, while conceding that it MIGHT have something to do with the fact that the writers' strike has prevented any new episodes from airing during that entire time period.
More Sarcasm after the jump!
The numbers have been staggering to everyone. Jay Leno's Tonight Show viewership has dropped 40%, while Conan O'Brien's has dipped nearly 36%. Over on CBS, David Letterman has seen his share drop 21%, while even Comedy Central has felt the sting, with both The Daily Show and The Colbert Report suffering 29% and 33% drops respectively.
Also notable in this report: apparently Jimmy Kimmel still has a talk show at all.
Despite the ongoing writers' strike, networks have bolstered their shows in the hopes of bringing people back to late night. In the coming days and weeks, audiences can look forward to Jay Leno's hilarious riff on the Enron scandal, David Letterman's spot-on interview of Monica Lewinsky, and Craig Ferguson staring intently into the camera, sobbing and begging people to pay attention to his show.