Jay Leno’s primetime show will end on February 12 with the start of the Winter Olympics, according to the AP.
NBC wants Leno at 11:35pm and Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Fallon to move thirty minutes back, but “that’s not a done deal.” It seems that the affiliates did play a major role:
[NBC Uiversal TV Entertainment Chairman Jeff] Gaspin said despite lower ratings for NBC at 10 p.m. compared with last year, the network was making money off the show.AdvertisementBut affiliates were upset that the show was leading fewer viewers into their late news programs, costing them significant advertising revenue. Some affiliates told NBC in December they would go public soon about their complaints if a change wasn’t made, or even take Leno’s show off the air.
> Previously: Leno, Conan, ‘Nightline’ and the Late-Night Ratings
> More: FNC reported the Leno news at 1:21pmET, HLN at 1:42pm. CNN and MSNBC have not yet reported it (as of 2:45pmET).