Variety used to have a phrase “Big B.O.” in headlines referring to monster box office. It’s clear that President Barack Obama still has “big B.O.” when goes on late night television — and it’s political significant because despite the tsk-tsking of some Republicans and media critics, it’s a way to get his viewpoint out and bypass the media filter and partisans. Variety reports:
President Obama remains a popular latenight guest, as his visit on Tuesday night lifted NBC’s “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” to its highest-rated night in the nine months since Obama’s most recent prior appearance.
According to Nielsen metered-market overnights, “Tonight Show” averaged a 3.8 household rating/10 share — more than double the 1.8 rating for competitors “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on ABC and “Late Show With David Letterman” on CBS (with a repeat episode).
The fourth “Tonight Show” appearance for Obama since he took office in 2009, Tuesday’s episode is the highest “Tonight” overnight rating for any night of the week since a Wednesday last October when Obama’s appearance netted a 4.0 rating. And it’s the highest Tuesday night in 21 months, since an October 2011 appearance by Obama (4.1).
Some of Obama’s critics have claimed he went on Leno so he could avoid a press conference. But that was not accurate for two reasons: 1)Obama does have a shockingly low number of give-and-take press conferences, but he does have them. 2)He has one slated for today and it’s logical that he’d have one soon given several key developments including reports suggesting that relations between the United States and Russia are at a 21st century low. Even so, conservative blogger Andrew Malcolm predicts there are a host of questions that the press will never dare ask Obama.
But the bottom line is Obama’s Leno appearance drew big ratings and the interview covered a host of topics. VIDEO HERE.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.