Why Joe Rogan Beat Late Night TV
When I was a kid, hearing Johnny Carson’s theme music meant it was time for bed. Today, nobody has to stay up for anything. And that one shift explains a huge part of why late night is fading and why your podcast has to work harder to earn attention.
Conversation vs Promotional Appearances
In the early years of Johnny Carson, the show was 90 minutes and they actually had conversations as apposed to the "tell me about your family vacation, and let's roll the clip" interviews we see on late night shows
Appointment Viewing is Dead
The days of "must see tv" on Thursday night died with the VCR and DVR. I haven't watched live TV in years. So now the audience that is staying up to watch live is much older (somewhere between age 60-70), and is about HALF of the audience comparing it to the days wheh David Letterman get almost 7 million a night.
The Celebrity Mystique is Gone
I once stayed up to watch B.B. King on the tonight show. Why? Because I couldn't hear him on the radio. I was too young to go to a concert. If I did that today and wanted to see Joe Bonamassa I wouldn't need to wait to see him on TV. I could see him on his YouTube channel, or multiple interviews on podcasts.
#1 in Late Night is a Big Fish in a Much Smaller Pond
Keep in mind that Steven Colbert being #1 in late night in 2026 is way different than being #1 in late night in 1993. Late-night TV revenue has reportedly fallen from about $400 million a year to $200 million a year—a 50% decline—while some shows that once drew 7–8 million nightly viewers now struggle to reach 3 million.
YouTube Doesn't Pay the Same
According to one report, YouTube pays one tenth of what a network ad spot would go for. When you audience is cut in half, you have less advertisers. When the advertisers you have are paying you 90% less and your expenses stay the same that is a problem.
Keep Control of Your Content
Remember big companies with big payouts WANT CONTROL. Conan focused on owning his content and that resulted in a 150 million dollar payout.
Only Amazing Content Will Stand Out
If you want podcast growth, you need to make sure you are doing as many of the following as possible.
Make them:
Make Sure The Content
- Educates
- Entertains
- Saves the audience time
- Saves them money
- Makes them FEEL something
If it's information you can get any place else, even better. A great podcast can be boiled down to content and delivery. So this episode is focused on content.
Be Ready to Promote
When someone says, "Oh, you do a podcast?" be ready to explain what it is, what its about, and how people benefit from consuming your content (and say your website). We hear how Macaulay Culkin dropped the ball so bad on the Ellen show.
Housekeeping: How to Pitch a Podcast
I am still preparing to launch this show and I'm accepting stories. I had some things pop up that are taking my attention as they are time sensitive. It's coming...
Mentioned in this episode:
Live Appearances
I will be at the Empower Podcasting Conference (Year 3!) in Charlotte North Carolina. This is my favorite type of conference with a cap at 250 people, it's a great crowd without being overwhelming. Great speakers, great networking, and a great location.
Where Will I Be?
Podcasting in Six Weeks Starts Soon
If you've tried to start a podcast before and got lost in the jargon, and felt overwhelmed, this is the course for you. We will meet LIVE for six weeks and go step by step in launching your successful podcast. The best part, we are only charging $1
Check it out at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/sixweeks
Podcasting in Six Weeks
Question of the Month
This might be harder question to answer because when I ask people, the sometimes freeze. The question?
How do you measure success for your podcast beyond download numbers?
I need your answer by June 26th, 2026. Don't forget to tell us a little bit about your show and your website address so I can link to it in the show notes.
Question of the Month
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