Jimmy Fallon is the heir apparent to host “The Tonight Show”. While not officially announced yet, the backstage maneuverings have been going on to make the transition from Jay Leno to a new host for several months now. Leno’s contract is up in 2014.
The plan is for Fallon, who currently hosts the 12:35 a.m. to 1:35 a.m. slot to take over “The Tonight Show” which will then broadcast from New York instead of Burbank, California. Original host Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson all did the show from 30 Rock studios in New York City until 1972 when the show moved permanently to NBC Studios in Burbank, CA.
The peacock network is trying to keep feathers from getting ruffled and not repeat the fiasco of a few years ago when it named Conan O’Brien as host of “The Tonight Show” and then canned him less than six months into the gig.
Jay Leno continues to lead the late night ratings battle over both David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel.
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CBS Sports Network has added current college coaches and former players as guest analysts for its coverage of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Coaches include Connecticut’s Kevin Ollie, South Carolina’s Frank Martin, Boston College’s Steve Donahue and Rutgers’ Mike Rice, as well as former players Bobby Hurley (Duke and current Rhode Island assistant), Scoop Jardine (Syracuse) and Marc Jackson (Temple).
Donahue, Rice and Jardine serve as guest analysts on Thursday, March 21, while Ollie and Hurley are in studio on Friday, March 22. Jackson joins the coverage for third-round action on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24. Martin will be in studio for Sweet 16 coverage on Thursday, March 28 and Friday, March 29.
The coaches and former players join the studio team of analysts Wally Szczerbiak, Steve Lappas, Alaa Abdelnaby, Pete Gillen, Chris Spatola and Mateen Cleaves, insider Jon Rothstein, and hosts Adam Zucker, Dana Jacobson and Brent Stover from the CBS Sports Network studio at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. For a full programming schedule, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.
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