From the TCA press tour and the NBC Q&A…the Associated Press reports the final Tonight Show with Jay Leno will be Friday, May 29, 2009 and Conan O’Brien will start the following Monday, June 1.
NBC is angling to keep Leno with the network but the late-night king has indicated he’s ready to jump ship. Eager NBC competitors, including other networks and syndicators, are eager to help him make the leap.
Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff, NBC Entertainment co-chairmen, were asked about the specter of Leno being hired by ABC and overpowering O’Brien in the ratings.
Advertisement“We really believe in the decisions we’ve made with our partners, including Jay” and are standing by them, Silverman replied.
> More from B&C: “We’re not going to concede that at this point,” Graboff said of Leno leaving. He added that when Leno was quoted as saying he was “done with NBC” by USA Today, “I think he will tell you he was taken out of context a little bit.”