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as a war of egos
It's a bit about TV news but mostly personalities
By Jeff Bercovici
The world of late-night TV is in flux, and no resolution is expected until later this week, when David Letterman returns from vacation.
But at least three things are already clear at this point:
First, Letterman, who is deciding whether to stay at Viacom-owned CBS or jump to Disney's ABC, will be successful and still quite unhappy no matter what he chooses.
Second, "Nightline" won’t be around much longer, at least in its current form. Its host, Ted Koppel--who wrote a New York Times op-ed today defending "Nightline's" relevance--will end up the loser in all this, unless he feels like starting over in cable.
Third, somebody else, most likely Comedy Central's Jon Stewart, will be the big winner, serving as the consolation prize to whichever network doesn't get Letterman.
The entire saga, which started weeks ago but came to a boil only last Friday, has prompted the usual fretful talk about the decline of serious journalism in network TV, but that's not why it has stirred up so much interest.
The real reason this story about contracts and scheduling has drawn so much notice is that it serves as a reminder of just how big and how fragile the egos of network stars can be.
The most fragile one of all may be Letterman's. In 1993, he left NBC after what he saw as years of mistreatment culminating in the network's decision to replace retiring "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson with Jay Leno instead of him.
Now Letterman is said to have a new set of beefs with CBS, where he competes against Leno at 11:35 p.m. as host of "The Late Show."
Letterman, who is notoriously demanding and self-critical, reportedly feels that the network devotes too few of its resources to promoting his show and his production company, Worldwide Pants.
For a period after coming to CBS, "The Late Show" was beating "The Tonight Show" in the ratings, but then Leno surpassed Letterman and has never looked back.
Letterman reportedly blames his inability to catch up on the overall weakness of CBS's stations, especially in the big cities where his shtick is most popular.
But if Letterman isn’t happy with CBS, neither is CBS president Les Moonves overly thrilled with Letterman, who routinely targets his employer for mockery on his show. In a world of media conglomerates, where cross-promotion is increasingly the norm, Letterman is seen as a reluctant team player who bridles at, for instance, being asked to interview "Survivor" contestants.
Moonves’s displeasure with Letterman is sufficient that the network failed to close a deal with him during its period of exclusive contract negotiations, opening the door for him to defect to ABC.
Letterman might already have done so by now but for a significant reservation: The 11:35 p.m. slot that ABC wants him to fill is currently occupied by "Nightline," and Letterman, who is said to be somewhat paranoid about his public image, doesn't want to be seen as the man who knocked Ted Koppel and his highly-regarded program off the air.
Letterman has reportedly asked ABC executives for assurances that they were planning on moving or eliminating "Nightline" already, assurances they have been only too willing to provide.
The reasons why are not complicated.
Though "Nightline" is comparable to "The Late Show" in total viewers, it skews several years older, making its advertising rates 25 percent or more lower. Its 12:05 follow-up, "Politically Incorrect," is unprofitable, having been deserted by advertisers over remarks host Bill Maher made shortly after Sept. 11.
ABC News executives say that "Nightline" turns a small profit, while network executives say it loses money. Either way, a Letterman-hosted talk show would bring in tens of millions more in revenues than the current "Nightline"-"PI" block.
Defenders of network news say shows like "Nightline" ought to be supported both as a public service and as an investment in the network's overall image. But such arguments have been steadily losing traction at Disney and other publicly held media conglomerates.
Koppel might be expected to welcome the chance to step down from his duties at "Nightline," which he founded 22 years ago during the Iranian embassy hostage crisis. In his 2000 book, "Off Camera: Private Thoughts Made Public," he indicated that he and executive producer Tom Bettag were about ready to retire from "Nightline."
But Sept. 11 and the war on terrorism seem to have recharged his sense of purpose somewhat. Koppel has said he does not want "Nightline" moved into primetime, fearing that ratings pressure will turn it into a soft news show like NBC's "Dateline."
In his New York Times essay today, Koppel argues that the show remains as relevant as it has ever been.
"In times of crisis, we often have the largest late-night audience in broadcasting," he writes. "I like to believe that this is because we provide a genuine public service."
Unfortunately for Koppel, a reassignment to primetime seems to be exactly what ABC has in mind for it. If that happens, some speculate that Koppel will find a home at one of the cable news channels, which have been grappling with each other over big-name on-air talent.
Most observers believe Letterman will end up staying at CBS.
For one thing, although ABC's stations are stronger in the biggest markets, its primetime schedule is in tatters following the decline of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," meaning it might be even more difficult for Letterman to catch up with Leno at ABC than at CBS.
Also, if he moves to ABC, Letterman will have to put up with the indignity during the football season of having his show's start pushed back for "Monday Night Football," which often runs long.
If Letterman does jump, CBS will probably replace him with Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's critically acclaimed "The Daily Show."
Stewart, whose star has been on the rise of late, has considerably broader appeal than his predecessor, the smug Craig Kilborn, whose "Late Late Show" follows Letterman on CBS. If Letterman stays put, it's likely that ABC or Fox will try to tap Stewart to host a brand-new late-night talk show.
March 5, 2002 © 2002 Media Life
-Jeff Bercovici is a staff writer for Media Life.
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