JAY LENO - WHITHER JAY?

A remark by Jay Leno that he will be "definitely done with NBC" when he steps down as host of the Tonight show next year has started tongues wagging among TV critics and network front-office staff. When asked by USA Today whether he would be moving to another network, Leno replied that he had no plans to retire. "Don't worry, I'll find a job somewhere," he said. Aaron Barnhart, the Kansas City Star TV writer, commented, "This is news to anyone who has been buying NBC's line that they are in negotiations with Leno about doing something else for the network." In the Chicago Tribune , media critic Howard Rosenthal wrote: "NBC's talk of Leno working in prime time or hosting Bob Hope-type specials has gone nowhere to date and his late-night ratings dominance has only continued, making a switch to [Conan] O'Brien a dicier bet, especially with the potential of Leno as a competitor swiping a chunk of the NBC audience." New York Post columnist Michael Starr observed, "His departure promises to set off a bidding frenzy for Leno's services among ABC, Fox and several deep-pocketed cable channels." Leno's remark came just days after he held up a TV-Guide- type magazine with his picture on the cover and a caption that referred to him as the host of the Tonight show "on ABC." Leno quipped, "It's like a headline from the future."

18/07/2008