or type here...
Home

Fox Puts Pressure on Stations Over Conan

3/18/2010 4:06 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
Fox Puts Pressure on Stations Over Conan

Conan O'BrienFox execs have been in touch with several affiliates, "applying pressure" to put Conan O'Brien on the air between 11 and midnight ... sources tell TMZ.

It's the clearest sign so far that Conan is going to Fox.

Our sources say Fox execs and Conan's reps have been "seriously talking," though no deal has been made.

Some of the Fox affiliates have been resistant to running a Conan show, because they'd make more money with the current schedule of sitcom reruns such as "The Office."

Several execs at the affiliate stations are saying they have felt the pressure from Fox honchos to take O'Brien's show.

And we've learned execs at several major Fox affiliates are saying a deal is "imminent."

More Conan O'Brien


Fox Puts Pressure on Stations Over Conan

See More

TV, Developing Stories, Exclusives, Conan O'Brien

Please check your inbox ... your comment will not appear until you have confirmed your identity via email.

When you enter your name and email address you'll be sent a link via email to confirm your comment. Please keep your comments relevant to this post. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make the link live for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.

Reader Comments

(Page 1 of 4) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments
1.
No Avatar

presidentcop:  696 days ago

ok, but fox has a bad history of dumping really good shows

Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
2.
No Avatar

knumbknuts:  696 days ago

So imagine how quickly they will dump a mediocre one.

Conan is painful to watch if you don't find his quirky body movements and facial expressions funny.

Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
3.
No Avatar

Craig:  696 days ago

They are afraid of if his show fails again they will get the same BS that NBC affiliates have gotten.

Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
4.
No Avatar

King:  696 days ago

Fox is okay but any station would be okay as long as Conan is on it. (Any except NBC, they smell of old pee and cat food.)

Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
5.
No Avatar

dpiii:  696 days ago

Perhaps for the first time in my life I found something worth commenting on; Conan is the man-it was one of the worst financial decisions since the great depression to fire him and bring back that clown Leno. This deal has the potential to restore integrity to late-night programing with the added benefit of entertaining the masses. If any exec is looking to get a raise (and a helicopter as a bonus) they should seriously think about seeing this deal through. Help me Conan O'Brien, You're my only hope!

Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
6.
No Avatar

G:  696 days ago

The stations don't have much to worry about. This is FOX after all. Even if the show does well, they'll cancel it after two years for no reason. The stations can then return to Frasier re-runs. Done deal.

Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
7.
No Avatar

nina:  696 days ago

Connan has a charming following at the grassroots level BUT lets get realistic here, he was let go because he didn't have a strong ratings. He was released because he would have lost a great deal of money had NBC continued with him. So, why would any other network pick him up or take that risk again? If they smart, they will push the show past midnight-- when no one is watching.

Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
8.
No Avatar

CriticAl:  696 days ago

I hope my affiliate isn't one of these dumb ones. I want Coco, not some crappy rerun!


Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
9.
No Avatar

smb:  696 days ago

Just looking at his ugly face on your item makes me cringe. I hate that dufus! At least he is gone from the major leagues.

Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
10.
No Avatar

smb:  696 days ago

Why not put ConAss on Saturday morning cartoons? That will appeal to his audience of numb-nuts.

Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
11.
No Avatar

Fred Farkel:  696 days ago



Ah.

I see.

The FOX affiliates think they will make more money with Gilligan's Island reruns that Conan???

Well now that's a surprise...


Generation ZERO thinks that Conan rules... yet at the end of the day, no one will buy what Conan is selling.

LMAO - just like out here in the real world. No one gives a d@mn what the Generation ZERO losers think or say.

:-O

Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
12.
No Avatar

kimmy:  696 days ago

Hi Fox Executives, here is an idea, why don't you also put Conan on American Idol in replacing Simon. Ha! Conan and Ellen can have a dance off, every time an idol wanna be is sent home. That will be good rating won't it. They will have a ton of chemistry trying to steal the show. Ha! When Ellen says "banana", Conan can say "bahama", there you go, they will really crack up the 2 graders. Now Are you smarter than the 5 graders?

Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
13.
No Avatar

Zorch:  696 days ago

Conan's primary audience is college students and similar aged
young people. Eleven PM is too early for these kids and those
who DO watch TV at eleven likely watch The Daily Show and Colbert
who are much funnier than Conan.

Yeah, Conan's diehard fans will watch him, but it's not going to
be a ratings bonanza. A much wider audience is out there for reruns of Seinfeld, Frazier and The Simpsons.

Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
14.
No Avatar

moveover:  696 days ago

Forget "Coco". Play back to back episodes of "King of Queens" from 11:00 to 12:00 each night and call it a day!

Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
15.
No Avatar

doc murry:  696 days ago

Conan is a loser,I get more laughs watching the retarded kid next door.......his ratings sucked and anyone who thinks he is funny is obviously a moron........you would get better ratings running cops reruns back to back.Or just run a test pattern

Reply
Likes 0 Dislikes 0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments