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NBC HAS graciously provided corporate America with a free seminar on how not to manage a crisis. Perhaps its ongoing, on-air symposium would be more appropriately advertised as how best to create one.

NBC’s late-night ratings have been in the tank. Local NBC affiliates have complained vehemently to network suits who created this ever-expanding television mess. The self-inflicted wound became obvious to local affiliates that try to maximize earnings during local news broadcasts at 11 p.m. To be successful these affiliates want a popular network series airing at 10 p.m. to lead viewers seamlessly into their local news shows.

CBS and ABC do OK, as both have some strong programming in the 10 p.m. time slot. NBC, on the other hand, moved Jay Leno to 10 but left his attractive set and familiar format behind. Jay at 10 is a ratings disaster that occurs five nights a week. Consequently, NBC does not get the necessary viewers to feed its 11 o’clock news programs. Fewer viewers at 10 mean fewer local dollars at 11. Affiliates are not happy.

NBC is famous for repeating mistakes and expecting a different outcome. The lineup of Jay Leno at 10, Conan O’Brien at 11:30 and Jimmy Fallon at 12:30 a.m. never launched. Rather than work out the problem, NBC corporate made matters worse by publicly discussing how they might reshuffle three prominent stars in their dwindling stable of talent.

The “fix” appears to have Jay returning to 11:30, for a half hour. Conan bumps back to 12:05 and poor Jimmy Fallon, he might as well just open for the early morning “Today Show.”

It gets worse. A half hour of Jay is ridiculous. Conan wasn’t funny at 11:30, he might not improve by midnight, and everyone at NBC is yelling at someone. This late-night soap opera is reality TV at its worst. They still have nothing at 10 o’clock and the unseemly situation might have so tarnished the product that no improvement can be realized.

Years ago, late night had royalty, style and class. Ironically, John William Carson of Corning, Iowa, passed away five years ago this month. He was 79 years old.

The Carson family moved to Norfolk, Neb., when Johnny was 8. He graduated form Norfolk High School, joined the Navy and served aboard the USS Pennsylvania during World War II. After the war, Carson attended the University of Nebraska, receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1949. At the same time comedian Steve Allen developed a radio program that he would move to television in the early 1950s. He called it “The Tonight Show.”

Johnny Carson began hosting the show on Oct. 1, 1962 and for 30 years he was a ratings phenomenon.

It all came to a close, however, on May 22, 1992 in front of 50 million viewers, when Johnny signed off for the last time. Carson was an avid boater and in his retirement he got to spend many private hours aboard his elegant yacht, Serengeti. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H.W. Bush.

On May 13, 1994 Carson made a surprise appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” To the familiar sound of “Johnny’s Theme,” written by Paul Anka, Carson walked on stage, sat in Letterman’s chair and received a thunderous, uninterrupted, standing ovation. Two minutes later, unable to quiet the audience, the king of late night waved goodbye without ever saying a word. It was his last television appearance.

NBC wants to fix its late-night programming? Give us reruns of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” There are 4,531 of them.