• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, January 26, 2024

How much does on-air talent means to a TV network when it comes to a show airing five days a week?

Perhaps that is too much to ask. Drawing a conclusion about the value of a big talent -- or of the TV network itself -- is murky to begin with.

This could be a key when it comes to Jon Stewart now returning to Comedy Central's “Daily Show.” But just on Mondays.

Haven't we heard this before? Top cable TV news host/anchor Rachel Maddow on MSNBC revamped a multiyear deal allowing her to continue with her show. But also just on Mondays. This started just about two years ago, in April 2022.

It would seem that the big talent wants flexibility to do other things. Maddow writes books, is working on a movie and spends a lot of time on her unique podcasts.

Still, she also regularly hosts MSNBC for big news events. Major viewer interest is important for all concerned. 

Most recently, the spotlight was on the Republican primaries in New Hampshire and Iowa. And a last year and a half ago, she presided over MSNBC special primetime shows during announcements about the criminal and civil cases against the former President.

We are told that bringing Stewart back to Comedy Central airwaves also had a lot to do with flexibility for Stewart -- no doubt allowing him to do other things.

The job of working on-air Monday-Friday on a cable TV show must result have a major burnout effect in terms of time and effort. Stewart left “The Daily Show" in 2015 after 16 seasons. 

Stewart's ultimate successor was Trevor Noah, who lasted seven years through 2022. Since that time, and most recently, the show has been hosted by a rotation of  people throughout the week. 

The question is: Does this help or hurt those networks?

It's difficult to make any conclusion specifically as it relates to just one top MSNBC anchor who appears somewhat less often now.

However, overall MSNBC has maintained mostly a top five or top three position among all cable TV networks in terms of viewership.

The most recent Nielsen measurement weekly results shows the NBC news network with 1.1 million average viewers, good for third place behind Fox News Channel and ESPN.

Surely all that must please advertisers looking for consistency in a still disrupting linear TV world.

Comedy Central is in a more difficult position perhaps -- being well down in cable TV viewership versus other entertainment networks -- channels who have seen much of their content now also running on streaming platforms.

A recent Nielsen week reading of its prime-time viewership places the Paramount Global network in 39th place, averaging 196,000 viewers, persons two years and older.

Will Stewart, like Maddow, help Comedy Central to attain greater stability and viewer interest?

Maybe there is a some humor in all of this. We wait for Stewart's first words upon his return.

Comedy Central may be a focus. After all, it can take a joke, can't it?

Maybe just one-fifth of the time.