I was just reading over on Dimewars the question, "Will Conan O'Brien be able to survive being banished to Basic Cable over on TBS?" The Dimewars staff bemoans a quote from one unnamed top executive, "The Tonight Show suffered from poor lead-ins from NBC's anemic prime-time lineup, the situation will be even more dire at TBS, larded with reruns of shows such as "Seinfeld," Family Guy" and "The Office."

I think the bigger question is what new cutting edge plans do the executive at TBS have planned for their station now that they have brought on board the talent of Conan O'Brien. Will he just be a talk show host or will he become part of a much more broad plan to put TBS fully back on the remote control for "Let us see what is on TBS."

What was the lure of TBS to Conan O'Brien? Well obviously I am not in his head so I don't really know. Neither I nor my various eccentric associates have attempted to interview him cause well, we at Sayata don't have the reputation of Oprah or even the much beat up of late Conan O'Brien. We thought about having our homeless friend the Shirtless Preacher stalk him and go through his trash but Shirtless still hasn't got his eyes uncrossed from trying to piece together shredded NASA documents he obtained regarding the coming end of the world, or so he says.

I tried to ask Evilgirl to see what she could find out on the matter since she is out in California. She is still pissed because I wouldn't dress up like Lady GaGa the last time we had sex, or I should say, we didn't have sex. Love the GaGa but still, Like Hell NO!!! There is a limit to my role playing. So anyway, she still isn't taking my calls. She may even now be engaged to someone else. I do miss the things she could do with ice cubes and whipcream.

What was I talking about? Oh yeah. Conan O'Brien. I wonder if he has ever had sex dressed up like Lady GaGa. If he ever agrees to an interview that will be my first question. I wonder if that is why I never get interviews.

So okay, back to TBS and Conan O'Brien. TBS is both a company and a singular television station. Turner Broadcasting System is the company managing the collection of cable networks and properties started by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

TBS, Inc. merged with Time Warner in 1996, and now operates as a semi-autonomous unit of Time Warner. The current chairman and CEO of Turner Broadcasting is Philip I. Kent.

TBS's current assets include CNN, HLN, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, and over-the-air Atlanta station WPCH-17 (formerly WTBS, a near-simulcast of the national TBS). Turner Broadcasting does NOT include The CW Television Network, HBO and Cinemax. In early 2006, the company sold Turner South to Fox Cable Networks creating SportSouth. It was called FSN South when Turner owned the station in partnership with Liberty Media. In May 2006, Turner Broadcasting, which already owned 50% of Court TV (truTV,) purchased the remaining half from Liberty.

So what is my point? Don't underestimate the power of TBS as part of Time Warner to cross promote in a way that GE was always too fucking incompetent to do. Although one reason that was given when TBStation was split from over-the-air WTBS had to do with sports, by making TBStation basic cable and not over-the-air changed how it is subject to FCC regulations. That is a good thing for O'Brien.

When Conan O'Brien is at his best his material is slightly more blue than his competition. Let us not forget that his career began with HBO as a staff writer for HBO's Not Necessarily the News. Then in 1988 he became a writer for NBC's Saturday Night Live as a sketch writer. Then in 1991 - 1993 O'Brien was a writer and a producer for The Simpsons.

So what will Conan O'Brien do for TBS and TBS do for Conan O'Brien? I don't have a crystal ball. It is at the shop being worked on. But my guess is that he will have a great show for his true fans and if TBS does their bit right, new fans will be brought on board.