NBC Considering Cutting Back Prime Time Programming Hours

NBC is considering cutting back on Prime Time programming. This news comes from The Wall Street Journal as they discussed “waning” interest in broadcast television overall. NBC has explored stopping programming at 10 pm and allowing local affiliates to program their channels. That would leave things up to the individual outlets an hour earlier than usual. Interestingly, the move hasn’t been discussed with their affiliate board yet. Late night programming for the network consists mostly of variety programming like Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show. But, they could slide up in light of the move. Fans of the show in that time slot have nothing to worry about for this year. Reports indicate a swap wouldn’t occur until the fall of 2023. But, some significant change is on the way for broadcast television in the near future.

For a long time NBC, ABC, and CBS have been able to bank on three hours of late-nite programming. But, as TV tastes have shifted, they have had to look at other approaches. Audiences have begun to consume things online in even greater numbers over the past half of a decade. All of these broadcast behemoths have taken to bolstering their streaming offerings. There’s Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, and Paramount+. If they tweaked their late-nite offerings, it could offer a savings in the millions. Some of this has begun already with a noticeable tilt toward live-action unscripted shows like The Voice and America’s Got Talent. 

“We are always looking at strategies to ensure that our broadcast business remains as strong as possible,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “As a company, our advantage lies in our ability to provide audiences with the content they love across broadcast, cable and streaming.”

There’s a lot of respect between this late-night show host cohort. Jimmy Kimmel over at ABC had some praise for Fallon’s contributions to the form back in 2014. However, he told Esquire he wishes they didn’t share a name.

“My only complaint about Jimmy Fallon is the first name: Jimmy,” Kimmel joked. “People get us mixed up all the time. No one remembers which Jimmy is which. Or they think I’m him, which can only make you feel like you should be him. Actually, he says the same thing happens to him.”

“He’s like an athlete out there,” Kimmel added when asked about his fellow host. “He can jump high, act, sing. He’s a true performer. I’m a broadcaster. That’s how I come at this. Not a stand-up, not an actor, not a commentator. A broadcaster.”

Would you be interested in a late-nite shake-up? Let us know down in the comments!