It's pressure from the affiliates, I think, that is pushing NBC to make the changes. Ratings leading into the critical local 11:00 news are sinking to new levels since the NBC shuffle. Local affiliates are losing money because not as many people are tuning in to watch the show (Leno) that leads into the news. I have heard and read that some affiliates were threatening to jump to another network or go independent if NBC didn't right the ratings ship.
If it weren't for the affiliates, I'm sure NBC would have been content to let the shows build their own audiences. After all, running Leno in primetime allowed the network to save buttloads of money since his show runs on a mere fraction of the budget of what an hour long primetime drama costs to make per episode. It also let NBC avoid getting into a pissing match with Conan and risk having to pay that penalty clause in his contract if he didn't host the Tonight Show which has been rumored to be in excess of $40 million.
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