Since leaving the air on Jan. 22, O'Brien has yet to find the right programming slot for his show. Fox wants him for its 11 p.m. slot, but hasn't yet convinced its TV affiliates -- or even the
stations owned by corporate parent News Corp. -- to carry it. "Getting Conan is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get a well-known talent with a following," says Bill Carroll, director of
programming for Katz Television Group, which advises TV stations on licensing shows. "But the timing couldn't be worse.
O'Brien's most daunting problem is breaking into a late-night
lineup that has grown overcrowded in the last five years. A new show would have to compete against NBC's "Jay Leno," CBS' "David Letterman" and ABC's "Nightline," as well as "The Colbert Report."
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