I remember that. The affiliate wanted to show a 10 o'clock news broadcast because they felt that the Leno experiment would fail. NBC quickly told them, and all of their other channels, that it was also the only warning that their affiliates would get (it applied to all NBC affiliates).
How typical. Remember scripted shows? The original networks are going to continue to loose numbers if all they show is news, talk, and reality. What network just got rid of Guiding Light? The longest running show EVER and it doesn't do enough according to TPTB. I don't even watch regular television. Haven't in years due to the sucky options and ridiculous time slots. Networks needed to be overhauled just like the publishing industry.
Dead Like Me was going to The WB, Reaper was going to go to syndication.... I'll believe it when I hear it come from the TNT's president's mouth.
The last four seasons, actually, plus the strike delay as you mentioned (four, five, six, writer's strike, seven). But 24 is highly serialized, and highly advertised, so its model may not work for other television shows.