NBC Could Give Third Hour Of Nightly Primetime Back To Local Affiliates
deadline.comNBC is considering giving back the 10 p.m. hour of prime time to local affiliates, a potentially significant tipping point for the legacy broadcast TV model.Internal discussions have been going on for a number of years at the Comcast-owned NBCU, according to a person familiar with the situation, and no firm decision has been reached.
The soonest a move could be made would be a year from now, given the complex web of agreements in place with affiliates and advertisers.““We are always looking at strategies to ensure that our broadcast business remains as strong as possible,” an NBC spokesperson said in a statement provided to Deadline. “As a company, our advantage lies in our ability to provide audiences with the content they love across broadcast, cable and streaming.”ABC, CBS and NBC have each offered at least three hours of national primetime programming for decades.
As newer challengers like Fox and the CW arrived on the scene, they bore an asterix to many industry observers due to the fact that they only programmed two hours a night.
Until a few years ago, the CW also did not air anything on Saturday night and then recently went to the full seven days a week by programming Sundays, though the allotment is still two hours each night, as it is for Fox.The nightly schedules for broadcast networks, particularly the legacy Big Three, have already started to reflect the changing times.
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