Lester Holt stepping down from NBC Nightly News

[Jase 1061]

6 hours ago, carolinanews4 said:

I genuinely don't understand the angst regarding Nightly broadcasting from Studio 1A. Is it just sentimental longing for a dedicated space?

 

From a business perspective, it doesn't make a lot of sense to build a standalone studio for a show with a 22-minute runtime where the studio itself is on camera for a few minutes. The economic realities make Nightly's use of 1A completely reasonable. Heck, Nightly started switching the show from the 1A control back room during Brian Williams' tenure. I don't see the practical need for a big production space for a solo-anchored newscast like this. ABC World News Tonight uses a shared studio space, but outside of a bump shot, the show is mostly a static shot of David seated in front of an LED wall. And this is the top-rated evening newscast, and on occasion, has been the most watched show on television. 

 

So while the set in Studio 1A might be a little long in the tooth, it seems perfectly serviceable. Lester's ratings didn't drop when they moved to 1A. And I doubt Tom's would spike if they had their own space. When budgets are being slashed, the priority should be to keep investing in newsgathering resources. Building a new set to say you have a dedicated space doesn't seem like a good use of shrinking resources. But I might be missing something here.  

 

It's the overall look of Studio 1A. The set was designed for a morning show and lacks flexibility to be used in other ways, imo. With MSNBC leaving, it's highly unlikely that space will be left unused, so it opens up the possibility of Nightly moving. Plus, it wouldn't make much sense to have Llamas doing Nightly in 1A and then moving to 4E for Top Story. Best to have both programs in a new space together. Studio 4E is showing some wear and tear too these days.

Edited 3 hours ago by Jase

[Weeters 1952]

Honestly, it would not surprise me in the least if this hypothetical new 3A set ended up being for Nightly, NBC News Now, and Today.

 

Not only is a bunch of studio space and newsroom space about to open up, but technical spaces as well. It would not shock me at all if NBC chose to consolidate everything inside 30 Rock. The streetside studio thing has to be becoming more trouble than it's worth, and they're about to have at least two full control rooms open up.

[carolinanews4 384]

1 hour ago, Weeters said:

Honestly, it would not surprise me in the least if this hypothetical new 3A set ended up being for Nightly, NBC News Now, and Today.

 

Not only is a bunch of studio space and newsroom space about to open up, but technical spaces as well. It would not shock me at all if NBC chose to consolidate everything inside 30 Rock. The streetside studio thing has to be becoming more trouble than it's worth, and they're about to have at least two full control rooms open up.

 

There's definitely intriguing logic here. However, my guess is that TODAY will stay put at 10 Rockefeller Plaza. With ABC moving GMA downtown and CBS returning to that old milk factory in Hell's Kitchen (not that they have ever leveraged their Times Square location), it could be a bit of an advantage for NBC to keep 1A operating, especially with the ability to continue outdoor concerts. 

 

I think the smarter play would be to rent out one of their empty studios to a third party. This would bring in rental revenue, and 3A and 3K are able to hold audiences. And if rumors are to be believed, 6A might also be open if Clarkson winds down her show at the end of next season. (But seeing that it is a rumor the NY Post continually publishes, I'm not giving it a whole lot of weight)  I know there aren't a ton of productions looking for space right now, but it is something to consider. Speaking of renting, I'm guessing MSNBC will rent their current space from NBC until their new studios are completed. So it might be status quo for 18 months or more.