Conan Puts His Foot Down, Won't Do 'Tonight Show' After Leno

In a new turn in one of the biggest scheduling blunders in years, Conan O'Brien said in a statement this afternoon that he won't do NBC's "The Tonight Show" if it airs following the Jay Leno Show at 12:05 a.m, as has been discussed.

Due to poor ratings from the new Jay Leno Show and a weak start to the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, NBC executives planned to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. The Tonight Show currently airs at 11:35 and the Jay Leno Show airs at 10:00. Conan said moving the show will "seriously damage... the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting." He said the Tonight Show at 12:05 "simply isn't the Tonight Show." He also said it would hurt the Late Night show with Jimmy Fallon.

Conan said while he enjoyed hosting the program he cannot participate in "its destruction."

On going to another network, like News Corp's (Nasdaq: NWSA) Fox, Conan said he currently has no other offers and has no idea "what happens next."

NBC Universal, which produces the Tonight Show, is being partially sold by General Electric (NYSE: GE) to Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA).

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