NBC May Cancel 10 pm Programming Block to Cut Costs

NBC’s 10 pm programming block may soon become must-flee TV.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the network may stop programming the 10-11 pm hour, potentially giving those seven hours to local TV stations. The idea — which could take effect as early as Fall 2023 — is reportedly being considered as a way to cut costs amid declining linear ratings.

NBC’s current 10 pm series include Law & Order: Organized Crime, Chicago P.D., the soon-to-conclude New Amsterdam and the about-to-launch Quantum Leap reboot.

If the plan gets the green light, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon would likely move from 11:30 pm to 11 pm (or, perhaps, as early as 10:30 pm, per WSJ).

An NBC rep declined our request for comment, but a network spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal in a statement, “We are always looking at strategies to ensure that our broadcast business remains as strong as possible. As a company, our advantage lies in our ability to provide audiences with the content they love across broadcast, cable and streaming.”

NBC famously — or infamously? — toyed with a similar experiment back in Sept. 2009 when it replaced its 10 pm programming on Monday-Friday with The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. The ill-fated move lasted just five months and 95 episodes.