The late night TV wars have been grabbing headlines for months now, with a series of shakeups to the previously-stable time slots. What can radio learn from the different late night talk hosts? Robby Bridges draws some parallels in this week’s Programming To Win column.
Robby Bridges
By Robby Bridges
I’m endlessly fascinated by the late night talk show wars (I’m also a huge fan). As an employed male in his 30s who is a regular viewer of several shows, I’m very much in the target audience late night talk advertisers are seeking. A little insight to my viewing habits: I’ve seen at least three quarters of the shows David Letterman has done since he started on CBS, I think he’s one of the best non journalistic interviewers who’s ever been on TV. I really liked Conan years back but drifted away from him. On occasion, were there a guest or event that interested me I’ll watch Ferguson, Kimmel, Chelsea or the Comedy Central shows. While I certainly respect Jay Leno’s success and talent, I just found his “Tonight” to be too bland and rarely ever tuned in, nor did I ever watch Jimmy Fallon at 12:30. Lastly, I’m kind of a talk show snob in that I can recite lines from Carson, Paar and Allen back to you (plus I did a show locally myself!).
So when NBC announced Leno was retiring altogether this time and Fallon was moving to “Tonight” I was very skeptical; Jimmy has the “adorkable” thing (hardly the sophisticated gravitas Johnny commanded before the curtains) his delivery of jokes, interviewing and sketches a bit spastic. While I was never into Jay, the show always maintained the show business glitz for middle America appeal Johnny had given it for so many years, and to put him to pasture while still #1 in total viewers and 18-49 share seemed very odd to me simply for the sake of “going young”.
Then Jimmy Fallon’s premiere came along, and like 12 million other people, I checked it out. Several weeks have gone by and Jimmy has had a non stop parade of A-list celebrities, fun desk pieces and viral moments and I find myself recording his show every night (by the way I also find I like Seth Meyers at 12:30 and a little show on Comedy Central called @Midnight with Chris Hardwick). Ratings for all three have been on the upswing and both traditional ratings/social media hits have substantially improved compared to their predecessors in respective time slots. Fallon is averaging well over a million more viewers than Jay Leno was on “Tonight”, his debut week getting the highest numbers since Carson’s last in 1992. Dave, meanwhile, getting half the audience and disappointing me almost nightly with less than A-list guests; further while Jimmy seems to be capturing the moment Dave spent over a week making jokes about Barbara Walters. And I’ve not watched him much since Fallon took over, to my own surprise. Dave’s show has been failing to meet my expectations and what Jimmy has been doing thus far on “Tonight” has not only met but exceeded my expectation for what I want out of a late night show.
How does this apply to radio programming strategy? 1) Identify your P1s; super serve them but stay on top of constantly re-engaging them and satisfying their needs; don’t assume your “regulars” will always be there even if you make no changes, be weary of tune out factors and complacency. 2) Know what your competitors are doing and how it might impact your P1s use of your brand, when P1s sample elsewhere you run the risk of permanently losing TSL and loyalty 3) Meet listener expectations THEN exceed them. Plus, remind the listener that you did, and do this. What is the perception of what your brand is? Why do listeners choose your brand? What keeps them listening longer and on more occasions? For me as a Letterman P1: it was that old school show feel, guests, his style, now I’m getting that from Jimmy and then some. Know what you are musically, know the emotion that goes along with that (the newest, the softest etc.) know what other elements matter and set appointments for them to hear them (weather, big personalities, traffic, contesting). Lastly, the expectations of a P1 may not be set in stone, they evolve, meet them and don’t lose sight of them, and keep replenishing them.
Robby Bridges is the PD/afternoons at Nash FM 93-1 WDRQ Detroit. He is also President of BBOR Productions, developing and marketing syndication, music and production pieces nationally. Previously Bridges has worked in various capacities at WCTK/Providence, Z100/New York, Q102/Philadelphia, WODS and WBMX/Boston and elsewhere in New England. Robby can be reached at 203-333-9108 or robby.bridges@cumulus.com..
