Timing is everything

The Topolánek government will win confirmation this morning under rather bizarre circumstances, but comic Jan Kraus won't be able to joke about it on his popular talk-show this evening. Timing is everything in humor, but Kraus's timing will be way off tonight, because the show was taped eight days ago. Kraus will still attract an audience exceeding 1.5m. That is an extraordinary number, considering that Jay Leno attracts only 6m viewers in a U.S. market that is 15 times bigger. Kraus recently threatened to leave Czech TV because of a scheduling change, and with ratings like his, an eventual move to TV Nova seems inevitable. If Kraus shifted from one time per week to, say, three and beefed up his writing staff, it could be an advertiser's dream come true. He could also narrow the gap between his estimated five-figure salary per show in crowns and Leno's six figures per show in dollars. But stale jokes aren't the ticket to long-term success. [Czech Republic Television Tonight Show Uvolněte se, prosím]