Late Night Comes a Little Earlier for Jimmy Kimmel

ABC announces plans to move Jimmy Kimmel Live! up by five minutes for a midnight start time, cutting off a portion of Nightline

So it is possible. A late-night host can move to an earlier time on a major network without the world ceasing to spin. Go figure.

In any case, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is taking five—minutes, that is, and out of Nightline's time slot.

Here's the deal...

ABC has decided to shorten the longrunning news program by five minutes, thus moving Jimmy Kimmel's nightly laughfest up to a midnight (rather than 12:05) start time. It will still end at 1:06 a.m., however, meaning that at 66 minutes long, Kimmel will have the honor of fronting the longest-running (in minutes, not years) show in late night.

"The earlier you're on, the better," Kimmel told USA Today. "Most people are going to watch, so that's why it's important to me.

"It's a complicated thing, but essentially, ABC will make more money by moving me up."

Sounds like somebody's ready to play with the big boys. The time slot shift will start on Feb. 4.