Entertainment | Jay Leno Affiliates Staggered by Tanking Leno Ratings 'Writing's on wall' for struggling show, say many By Evann Gastaldo Posted Dec 21, 2009 2:32 AM CST Copied Jay Leno speaks earlier this year about "The Jay Leno Show" at the NBC Universal Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, file) With 10 pm ratings in a free fall for many NBC affiliates, the question is on the table: When will the network ditch its Jay Leno Show experiment? The drop in last month's numbers was “staggering,” one manager tells Broadcasting & Cable. Another—who saw a 48.4% drop for Leno’s time slot and an 11.6% drop for the late news that follows it—calls the numbers "scary.” NBC executives insist the show is performing as expected, but say they're looking at “ways to improve.” Affiliate execs—who graded Jay as a late-news lead-in with Ds, Fs, and “WTFs”—have some ideas: Get higher-profile guests, or change up the format. One manager says all Jay needs to do is “find a water-cooler event”—Tiger Woods, maybe?—“and just knock a home run.” Read These Next Musk says his new party is in business. Kerr County considered a flood warning system years ago. A Texas man's disappearance is fodder for true-crime mania. Cancer claims the life of an MLB champ at 44. Report an error