Jonathan Cohen
?Music Booker, “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”?
LateNightWithJimmyFallon.com?
@brainofjoacohen??
THE PERFECT BLEND?
As music booker for NBC’s “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” Jonathan Cohen, 37, has to master balancing established acts whose names bring in eyeballs with cutting-edge artists who give the show bragging rights as a purveyor of music that fans need to know about right now. During the last year, the program found the perfect blend, showcasing acts like Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kacey Musgraves and Kendrick Lamar while snagging a late-night performance by Justin Timberlake for not just one, but five nights, this year’s “most significant achievement,” Cohen says. Other than a later “Saturday Night Live” booking, “[Fallon] was the only TV he did in conjunction with his new album release and really demonstrated how our show can be a major partner with artists who are launching big projects.” Ratings for adults were up 33% over the same week in 2012 and 30% for teens, according to Nielsen. Cohen will focus on finding the same potent mix as host Fallon takes over “The Tonight Show” in early 2014. “My priority is to continue to hone our mix of superstar and up-and-coming acts. I want to build a strong foundation for our time-slot switch.”