Saturday, January 23, 2010

We Fired the Wrong Guy

I just got around to watching Conan O'Brien's final Tonight Show. He handled it with the expected comedy and unmistakable class. He rose above the wallowing words of the past few weeks.

When the show ended, I was reminded of the 1976 Republican Convention. Gerald Ford was just nominated after a bruising convention that split the party. In his acceptance speech he recognized the man he defeated, Ronald Reagan. Reagan stood-up, waved to an adoring crowd as Ford watched from the podium. Ford then said "Ronnie, why don't you come down and say a few words."

Reagan, a master of timing, accepted the offer that Ford probably didn't think he would. Reagan joined Ford on stage and commenced to eloquently state the case for the conservative movement and then signed-off with class. The delegates were floored. It is said one of the party elders said "oh god, we just nominated the wrong guy."

Watching Conan's final show and knowing Jay Leno begins a reputation rehab tour on Oprah, I cannot help but think some NBC honcho is saying "oh god, we fired the wrong guy."

The GM
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 7, 2010 at 8:41 PM

    Mr. GM...had an unrelated question...noticed the New York Suit Exchange had most of the local ads during the Super Bowl today. How much are those ads and how much of an increase is it over regular ad rates?

    ReplyDelete
  2. The GMFebruary 8, 2010 at 5:03 AM

    I'm not sure what their charging in Memphis. The AUR (average unit rate) runs pretty high for one spot. Most likely NY Suit Exchange got a package deal -- meaning a spot or two in the game; some in pre-game; some in post game and maybe some rotators. My guess is they're a big annual spender and this is part of their overall marketing plan. It is a great place to be because so many people see the ad. The downside of advertising in the Super Bowl if your local is that your spot is compared to national spots. You never look as good.

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  3. The GMFebruary 8, 2010 at 5:04 AM

    They're charging/not their charging . . .

    ReplyDelete
  4. "Seen on Daybreak"February 17, 2010 at 4:47 AM

    GM, how are the ratings for NBC with the Olympics? How will that affect the late news lead ins... and their ratings during this book?

    Maybe you could post a new message...?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete

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