ABC has confirmed long-running speculation that as part of Jimmy Kimmel's new two-year deal with ABC, the comedian had asked for his latenight talk show on the network to be moved up from 12:05 AM to midnight. The change will come into effect on Feb.4. ABC News president Ben Sherwood just sent out this memo elaborating on the impact Jimmy Kimmel Live's earlier start time will have on Nightline, whose running time will be shortened to 25 minutes. Among other things, ABC News is getting a commitment for 13 hourlong primetime editions of Nightline to air on ABC. Nightline, which recently ranked as the most watched program in late night, had long been a target as the only non-entertainment program to air on the Big 3 networks after 11PM. A decade ago, ABC brass famously plotted to replace it with a David Letterman-hosted talk show.

http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/

...and I believe among his stipulations for renewal was his insistance on starting at midnight. Now, what's the difference if he starts exactly at 12am(et) instead of 12:05? Why eliminate five minutes from "NIGHTLINE", which obviously has better ratings than Kimmel does? If I were head of ABC's late-night programming division, I'd expand "NIGHTLINE" to a full hour [why not, it's virtually a nightly edition of the original "20/20" these days, anyway], and move Kimmel to 12:35am...where he belongs.

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...and I believe among his stipulations for renewal was his insistance on starting at midnight. Now, what's the difference if he starts exactly at 12am(et) instead of 12:05? Why eliminate five minutes from "NIGHTLINE", which obviously has better ratings than Kimmel does? If I were head of ABC's late-night programming division, I'd expand "NIGHTLINE" to a full hour [why not, it's virtually a nightly edition of the original "20/20" these days, anyway], and move Kimmel to 12:35am...where he belongs.

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The difference is that by 12:05 people have already started watching something else on another channel. So by starting right at 12:00 A.M. Jimmy Kimmel has a chance to capture more viewers.

Bingo Marvo. You got it. Kimmel is doing fine in the ratings. He beats Ferguson and Fallon. And Nightline beats Leno and Letterman.

First, we get an "instant recap", with announcer Dicky Barrett {"TONIGHT, on 'JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE'...!"}, followed by two minutes of "local" advertising. Then, Jimmy appears in one of his "integrated commercials" for one of his various sponsors [which are still funnier than the rest of the evening's offerings], then says, "'JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE', back in two minutes with...", followed by another two minutes of national advertising. FINALLY, around 12:06am(et), the show "officially" starts.

The point is, even though he's supposed to be on at Midnight/11pm Central, you now have to wait six minutes before he actually starts his own program! If I were him, I'd go back to starting with the "integrated commercial", and spread those two "local" ad minutes elsewehere. That's the difference between keeping your audience....and losing it.

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