Fox Mulling Over Signing Conan O'Brien
Feb. 3 2010, Published 11:46 a.m. ET
Fox head Rupert Murdoch said there are "different opinions" circulating at the network whether to sign Conan O'Brien, but if network execs come to the conclusion he would be a ratings moneymaker, they would ink him "in a flash."
There have been some conversations with O'Brien's camp, Murdoch said on a quarterly earnings conference call on Tuesday, but no real negotiations.
"We're giving it a lot of thought and a lot of examination," Murdoch said. "If the programming people can show us we can do it... and make a profit, we would do it in a flash."
NBC Exec: Conan, Letterman "Chicken-Hearted," "Gutless" In Attacks On Leno
O'Brien's settlement with the NBC enables the red-headed comedian to seek employment elsewhere as early as this fall. Fox has tried in the past to compete in the late night talk medium with little success, as programs hosted by Chevy Chase (1993) and Joan Rivers (1986-1987) were cancelled within a year of their debut.
- The REAL ‘Succession’: Media Titan Rupert Murdoch Locked in Secret Battle With THREE of His Kids Over Future of Empire
- Tucker Carlson Runs Into Rupert Murdoch in RNC Showdown: First Encounter Since Mogul, 93, Fired His $20 Million Star From FOX News
- Retired Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch Marries for the Fifth Time at 93
DAILY. BREAKING. CELEBRITY NEWS. ALL FREE.