NBC Exec: Conan, Letterman "Chicken-Hearted," "Gutless" In Attacks On Leno
Posted on Jan 15, 2010 @ 12:55PM
NBC Universal Sports chairman Dick Ebersol -- fed up Thursday after a week of hearing Jay Leno ripped by his late night peers -- called Conan O'Brien and David Letterman “chicken-hearted and gutless to blame a guy you couldn’t beat in the ratings.”
“What this is really all about," Ebersol told the NY Times, "is an astounding failure by Conan... we bet on the wrong guy.”
VIDEO: Conan O'Brien - "If NBC Doesn't Want People To See Me, Just Leave Me On NBC"
Ebersol said O'Brien didn’t make the necessary adjustments -- in particularly, how to appeal to audiences in the Midwest -- NBC brass advised him to, three weeks prior to switching from his longtime 12:35 p.m. EST slot to the Tonight Show.
“I like Conan enormously personally,” Ebersol said, “[but] he was just stubborn about not being willing to broaden the appeal of his show.”
VIDEO: Conan O'Brien Slams NBC Again; Says "I'm Available For Children's Parties"
Ebersol, a confidante of NBC head Jeff Zucker, insinuated O'Brien is not taking responsibility for his seven-month slide in the ratings.
“Jeff and I are big boys -- when we do something big in the public forum and it doesn’t succeed, we know we’ll be the butt of criticism -- but you don’t personally attack someone who hasn’t done anything," he said, referring to Leno.
Conan O'Brien Refuses To Take Part in "Destruction" of The Tonight Show
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The Daily Juice
I can't wait to see Conan on Fox. They need to get moving fast.
Posted Sun, 01/17/2010 - 2:11am
Whatever Ebersol! I cannot wait till Coco is on another network. He did not fail, NBC did, just like they did canceling Southland. I will follow conan & Southland anywhere & I like to spend A LOT of money. Advertisers will love that!!
Posted Sat, 01/16/2010 - 4:55am
I'm sure Ebersol and Leno will cry all the way to the bank because you left w/your money. BOO WHO WHO
Posted Mon, 01/18/2010 - 2:32am
I'm glad Mr. Ebersol spoke up. Mr. Jay Leno is a very fine man and those other idiots attacking him is so unfair. Conan, Letterman and Kimmels BAD BEHAVIOUR only sets Leno up for a Larger audience.
Posted Fri, 01/15/2010 - 11:33pm
The executive is birdbrained.
Posted Fri, 01/15/2010 - 11:11pm
I can honestly say that I have never laughed at Jay Leno's monologue. He just was absolutely no Johnny Carson. Likable guy..yes. But... Conan makes me laugh out loud. And that is a difficult thing for me. Love Letterman.
Posted Fri, 01/15/2010 - 7:16pm
So go watch Letterman. He'll need you to help pull his ratings up from # 2.
Posted Mon, 01/18/2010 - 2:33am
What a friggin' idiot! HE/or his cronie's set Conan up to fail when they put JL on for an hour just B4 the news. Why watch Conan when you've just seen JL, although I AM A LETTERMAN person.
Posted Fri, 01/15/2010 - 7:04pm
LENO failed in his show and that is why they are letting him move back to the Tonight Show. They don't want him leaving to go to Fox and competing against the Tonight show in that time frame. Conan would have been fine of Jay's show was not on first
Posted Fri, 01/15/2010 - 6:34pm
If what you're saying is true then why did he not do anything in the ratings at 12:35AM. I guess you'll have ti think on that one
Posted Mon, 01/18/2010 - 2:27am