When NBC Universal Entertainment co-chair Ben Silverman was hyping Jay Leno's prime time turn at Tuesday's press-conference, one of the adjectives he used to describe the show's potential was "DVR-proof." Two articles Wednesday suggest that the advertising community will welcome the show with open arms.
Ad buyers say they're interested in putting their clients in a new prime-time talk/variety show featuring Jay Leno on NBC next fall, as they cast about for new ways to use broadcast TV to reach millions of consumers while ratings continue to fall....For advertisers, the show represents a way to latch onto a program that will be original for most of the year and be more tied in to events of the day than the typical comedy or drama.
- Among ad buyers, the theory is that the program would represent a "more DVR-proof genre than traditional prime time," said Donna Speciale, president-investment and activation at Publicis Groupe's MediaVest.
- "It's easier to program him every hour than it is to do scripted television. Something NBC has been consistently doing is removing costs. Listen, he's a known product. He's got a huge following. If they do it right, it could be really successful," said Peter Gardiner, partner-chief media officer at Interpublic Group of Cos.' Deutsch, who has several clients in late-night shows.
- "There aren't too many programs that are attracting the kinds of audience that they need to pay for a new drama, so I think they've got to look at all options. It's probably a very smart thing to do," said Tony Pace, chief marketing officer at the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust.
MADISON AVENUE is voicing support for a surprise decision by NBC to give Jay Leno a prime-time weeknight talk and comedy show, although there are questions over how viewers will respond to the risky move....
"The model for network television is basically broken," said Rino Scanzoni, chief investment officer at the GroupM media division of WPP, primarily because of "huge, huge contractions" in the number of viewers who watch scripted prime-time fare.
"They cannot continue to go down this path," said Mr. Scanzoni, who is also chairman of the Mediaedge:cia unit of GroupM, so the arrival of the new Leno show could be "positive for the advertising community."
One plus Mr. Scanzoni sees is that the skit-and-shtick format of "The Jay Leno Show" would fit a growing trend of viewers being "more inclined to snack on television programs," he said, "instead of digesting them week in and week out."...
"Welcome to the future," said Tim Spengler, United States president at Initiative, a media agency owned by the Interpublic Group of Companies. "And there's probably more of this to come."...
Mr. Leno is "family friendly," said Andy Donchin, director for media investment at Carat, a media agency owned by the Aegis Group, who praised the NBC decision as "a bold step."