NBC Station Backs Down From Resistance to Leno Show
The duel in Boston between NBC and its affiliated station there, WHDH, over the future of Jay Leno’s new prime-time program ended without economic bloodshed Monday, less than two weeks after it started.
Mr. Leno’s show will be on WHDH starting in September, and the station will remain an NBC affiliate. That resolved a conflict that began on April 2 when WHDH’s general manager, Ed Ansin, announced that the station had decided to block the new Leno show, set for 10 p.m. each weeknight, and intended to replace it with an hour-long local newscast.
Mr. Ansin had said in an interview that the station did not think Mr. Leno’s new show would be “effective in prime time” and would be detrimental to the station’s 11 p.m. newscast. NBC reacted swiftly and ferociously, threatening that the network would replace WHDH as a network affiliate — a move likely to seriously undermine the station’s asset value.
On Monday, both sides issued conciliatory statements. Mr. Ansin, sounding a bit like an N.F.L. replay official, said, “Upon further consideration we have decided to telecast Jay Leno at 10 p.m. starting in September.” He added, “Jay is from Andover where I went to school. I enjoy his humor.”
NBC issued a statement attributed to John Eck, the president of the NBC TV network: “We are very pleased that WHDH will carry Jay Leno’s new prime-time comedy show at 10 p.m. this fall on NBC. We look forward to working closely with the station on a successful launch in Boston of this show.”
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