Are you on Team Conan or Team Leno?
Even before Conan O’Brien released his must-read statement, the online crowd seemed to be in Conan’s corner in the NBC’s late-night television feud. Team Conan was pulling ahead.
And then he released a brilliant, clever, witty, effective statement, which said in part:
Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over “The Tonight Show” in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004, I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.
…
Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the “Tonight Show” to 12:05 to accommodate the “Jay Leno Show” at 11:35. For 60 years, the “Tonight Show” has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the “Tonight Show” into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The “Tonight Show” at 12:05 simply isn’t the “Tonight Show.” Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the “Late Night” show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.
And then the Twitterverse exploded, with nearly 90% of the tweets voicing support for Conan.
Conan, 1. Leno/NBC 0.
Watching the situation unfold is entertaining enough from a pop culture perspective, but it also presents an excellent public relations learning opportunity. First, what did you think of Conan’s statement? Second, If you’re head of NBC’s PR team — or Leno’s publicist — how would you respond? Share your thoughts in the comments.