LOS ANGELES — Conan O’Brien is not going to take one for the team. The host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” released a statement Tuesday saying he would not move his show back half an hour to make room for Jay Leno’s return to late night.
Since news broke last week that NBC wanted to move Jay Leno out of prime time and put him back in late night, speculation has revolved around whether O’Brien would be willing to move his show or walk.
In a statement, O’Brien said, “I sincerely believe that delaying ‘The Tonight Show’ into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. ‘The Tonight Show’ at 12:05 simply isn’t ‘The Tonight Show.’ “
The decision likely will let NBC return “The Tonight Show” to Jay Leno, who would run it for a full hour.
O’Brien said he doesn’t have an offer in hand from another network.
NBC declined to comment Tuesday, adding that O’Brien was scheduled to do his show Tuesday night. Leno also declined to comment.
Denver Post wire services
