This big news story didn’t make All Access or Inside Radio, but a major programming change went down last week that impacted one of America’s leading talk and entertainment personalities.
Actually, it wasn’t in radio, but it could have been. The story, reported in Variety, is that the CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert axed their “showrunner” (yes, the fancy name for their PD) in favor of a guy who’s become something of a morning show specialist.
The rationale should be a familiar one to everyone in radio. The ratings for the show are lagging behind both Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel, despite its iconic host. As much as we support personalities in this blog, without a great PD’s vision, many struggle to find an audience and even their voice.
That’s been a big part of Colbert’s troubles since joining CBS, and consequently, the network has found someone with morning show sensibilities and discipline. Chris Licht (above left) comes over from CBS This Morning where he instituted a strategy to provide separation and differentiation from both Today and Good Morning America.
The story neglects to mention that Licht’s previous job was running the best morning show on TV – MSNBC’s Morning Joe. As it turns out, 
we met Chris a number of years ago when Morning Joe stars Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski headlined our Jacobs Media Summit in Philadelphia back in 2009. As you might imagine, Chris managed their appearance like any PD overseeing a morning show remote would – taking care of his talent, making them feel comfortable, and ensuring the environment and the room were optimal.
Notably, Variety picked up on what a true program director is all about, pointing out after the first show under Licht’s management:
“It almost seemed as if someone had imposed the discipline of a morning show on the host.”
Because that’s exactly what happened. Colbert would do well to listen closely and pay attention to his new “showrunner” – or PD.
Even a rock star personality needs a great programmer who has their back and their best interests in mind. It’s about systems, preparation, marketing, ratings acumen, execution, and of course, strategy. Even the greatest personalities can benefit from an outstanding coach can provide steady guidance and an objective view of the show.
Yes, behind every winning morning show team, controversial talk host, and flamboyant sports radio star is an intense, angst-ridden PD sweating the details.
Soon enough, even Stephen Colbert may admit that.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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The folks guiding talent, adjusting presentation, connecting the content and coaching (what a concept!) are essential to all media. When companies/owners leave those skills to people lacking them, they’re cooked.
Thank you, Fred. http://www.broadcatideas.com
Spot-on, Clark. Thanks for the comment.
Methinks changing the PD on Stephen Colbert’s show is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Colbert just isn’t that funny to mainstream America. The longer he stays in the chair, the more blackened the venerable CBS Eye becomes.
Charlie, you may be right. It’s a competitive field, and Colbert has some inherent appeal issues, not to mention making the transition from his Comedy Central persona. A new “showrunner” can’t change what’s in his DNA, but still might be able to improve the outcome…for a while. Thanks for commenting.
It’s seemed to me from the beginning that Colbert has been too overtly political which IMO has been his downfall. A lot of late night viewers disagree with him enough not to watch him, and others just want to laugh more and think less. He’s a talented guy who can sing and do sketch comedy – hopefully his new “PD” can save Colbert from himself.
That’s the plan that Chris Licht will have to work out, but it seems obvious from a distance that Colbert needs to find his late night voice. Thanks, Bob.
The people behind the scenes often make the difference between success and failure, in radio and in TV. Every show Shawn Ryan (The Shield, The Unit, The Chicago Code and others) touched had his mark all over it. Not all of them were hits, but they were all true to their original vision. Mark Cherry ran “Desperate Housewives” and always kept the show in check, even when he let it veer off course a bit. The show always returned to its baseline premise and attitude. David Letterman, a long ago radio guy, always counted on Robert Morton and Barbara Gaines to be his “moral compass” and guide the show in the right direction.
Chris Licht understands format, direction, and has the discipline to keep the show on track, almost regardless of what the “talent” wants. He’ll do a great job with Colbert. Will he get the show to number one? Who knows, but one thing is for sure, he will give the show a clear and unique identity. And you can bet that the staff list will look different in a year than it does today. Building a team of like-minded thinkers (who aren’t afraid to share their opinions, even if they’re not the same as everyone else’s) is part of brand management.
Whether you’re a radio station, a TV show, or a peanut butter manufacturer, you need to be able to rely on one person to hold the brand vision and make sure the brand (or the personality) stays true to the vision and do whatever it takes to stick to the plan. That’s what makes a great Program Director, Showrunner, or CEO. And the truth is there aren’t many of them.
Radio has devalued the importance of the PD being the keeper of the brand vision, settling for mediocrity in too many cases. Perhaps some radio guys could learn from TV that the investment in the right talent behind the scenes makes the talent that the audience hears (or sees) stronger and more successful.
Mark, these are spot-on observations. Too often, stations pay the freight for big-time personalities but fail to manage and guide them. It’s not an easy task, but it can make all the difference in the world…and in the ratings. As CBS is learning, just stealing Colbert away from Comedy Central won’t be enough to effectively compete against Fallon and Kimmel.
Chris Licht is a Syracuse University grad and was an intern with us at WAQX prior to our “Dave & the Fatman” run. Success often follows individuals like Chris who have a “foot in the door” while attending school.
Meantime, we frequently use audio from late night TV programming on our morning Talk Show. A lot of Fallon, Kimmel, Corden, and still even some Letterman. But Colbert–not so much.
I think Licht has a major project on his hands. I’ll be watching (and listening) with interest.
He clearly has a major challenge, Dave. We did not know he was an SU grad. It’s a very crowded, highly competitive arena, and perhaps CBS wasn’t thinking much beyond snagging the host, hoping that would be enough to cause channel flipping. Even “Larry Sanders” knew what he was up against. Thanks for the comment.
Done that it takes patience and balance with sports hosts. Most have never worked in radio
I had not considered the inexperience of many sports hosts, often directly off the diamond, court, ice, or gridiron. Thanks, Tom.
Well, I wish all involved a lot of luck – but not everyone can win. Licht changing the face of CBS This Morning did not result in beating the competition, only owning a piece of the market that Mr. Moonves himself chased away for years, while his future kept her job at others’ expense. Charlie Rose will never beat GMA or the Today show, so if CBS is smart, they will let Colbert do his thing, and work on selling that thing.
He will never, ever beat Fallon or Kimmel, and even Conan on TBS is more appealing to late night viewers. If pushed out of his comfort zone, Colbert will do even worse.
Tai, it’s a tough putt, to be sure. It’s a highly competitive landscape, and Colbert will be hard-pressed to score consistently good numbers there. Thanks for chiming in.