Analysis: Many Fox Affiliates Lukewarm on Conan

Syndication or late local news works fine at 11, thanks

By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/11/2010 5:05:03 PM

Amidst the speculation that Tonight Show frontman Conan O'Brien might shift to a similar role on Fox, multiple managers at Fox affiliates say they're lukewarm on the idea. All pointed out that it's premature to speculate on an O'Brien-at-Fox arrangement, and none were comfortable commenting on the record for that reason. But their off the record comments indicated a low level of interest in O'Brien airing on their stations.

Calls to Fox affiliates board chairman Brian Brady were not returned at press time.

O'Brien may be a free agent in light of NBC's announcement that it was pushing Jay Leno's primetime variety show back to 11:30. While scenarios are still being drawn up, NBC is considering airing O'Brien a half hour later, at 12:05.

Fox, presenting its schedule for the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena Jan. 11, has made a run at O'Brien in the past, and recent comments suggest that he has options around the dial should he feel slighted after relocating his staff and family to Los Angeles for his new NBC gig. But several Fox affiliates say clearing an O'Brien-helmed network show at 11 p.m. would be tricky, as stations are locked into syndication contracts in that slot, or increasingly, have new newscasts coming out of their 10 p.m. local news. WXXA Albany and WPMT Harrisburg, among many others, are Fox affiliates with new 11 p.m. newscasts.

Both the syndicated and local news options offer stations better ad inventory than a network show, say the affiliates, and have made for an often lucrative time slot. "We have syndication agreements locked down," says one GM based in the south. "I'm not sure how you move those out of the way."

Addressing reporters at TCA, Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly acknowledged that a host of sticky business issues would have to be worked out with affiliates to pave the way for a late-night show, and said the network would keep in mind the economic struggles many affiliates have been through of late.

Indeed, it may not be the ideal time for Fox to appear to be pushing a new program on affiliates, as some station groups are uneasy about the network demanding a substantial piece of the retransmission consent fees they're extracting from pay-television operators. "It would be difficult for Fox to pull off," says one former Fox affiliate GM of luring O'Brien for 11 p.m. "There'd have to be a compromise, because several GMs would be adamantly opposed to it."

Other general managers say O'Brien, who cut his teeth as a Simpsons writer on Fox years ago, may not be the right fit for their viewers, and his inauspicious run at The Tonight Show hasn't exactly bolstered his popularity. "If he didn't work on NBC, why would he work for us?" asks another southern-based affiliate GM. "I don't see a fit in our particular market."

That's not to say they're turned off by humor that many would classify as offbeat. "If it's Jon Stewart," says another, "the affiliates might get excited."