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Television

The End of Primetime As We Know It?

What Jay Leno says about TV’s future.

Jay Leno’s move from late-night to primetime might effectively change the DNA of network television. As The Los Angeles Times notes, scripted TV has become prohibitively expensive to produce, and not even a mega-grosser like Seinfeld can pay for all the flops. Moreover, DVRs have eliminated the effectiveness of 30-second commercials. Moving Leno to primetime—alongside game show and reality shows—could point toward a cheaper way for the networks to do business. (An NBC executive called Leno’s show “somewhat digital-video-recorder-proof.”) As for scripted fare, well, it must look for a home on HBO and basic cable.

Read it at The Los Angeles Times

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