DVR turning Leno slot into a black hole

Jay Leno has done more than just bomb in his prime-time slot on NBC. He may have started a revolution there.

It seems that not only are viewers tuning out Leno and other shows offered at 10 p.m. — they are actually using the slot to catch up on shows they’ve recorded.

DVR usage, which like live programming is measured by Nielsen Co., is up by 1.4 household ratings points in the 10 p.m. slot, while NBC has lost an average of 1.8 points compared to fall 2008.

“The DVR phenomenon is a little bit higher than we thought,” said David Poltrack, CBS’ chief research executive.

Here’s what researchers are finding: On Thursdays, for example, a growing number viewers are watching hit shows like CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” which are both broadcast at 9 p.m. They watch one fave in its slot, then the taped version, starting at 10 p.m.

DVR playback is proving to be bittersweet for the networks. On the one hand, people like the programs. On the other, they can skip through the commercials.

“You’d rather have a live viewer than a playback viewer,” Poltrack said, “but you’d rather have a playback viewer than nothing at all.”

One-third of American TV households have the technology to let them record shows.

This has taken a particular toll on Friday nights, home of “Medium” and “Ugly Betty.” Many people are forgoing these shows and instead catching up on programs they’ve missed during the week.