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Has the Leno Experiment Failed?

Television

Cascade of dipping ratings plagues NBC.

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Justin Lubin / NBC

The Jay Leno Show is messing up NBC. His ratings have leveled off to about 5 million viewers per night, and Leno's 10 p.m. show has created a domino affect of plunging ratings. Law & Order SVU used to run in Leno's 10 p.m. slot on Tuesday and was the leading drama, but at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, it finishes last. Conan is suffering at The Tonight Show, as are local newscasts at 11 p.m. which blame low ratings partially on the 10:30 p.m wasteland that precedes them. Producers of 10 p.m. dramas on several networks have described NBC's current state as a "complete calamity" and "utter disaster".

Read it at The New York Times