Boston Rejects Leno's Show

Conan O’Brien fans are probably hoping this news will start a trend. A Boston affiliate of NBC is refusing to air Jay Leno’s new talk show, set to premiere this fall, in favor of an hourlong local news show. The station owner is an early critic of the late-night talker, saying, “We don't think the Leno show is going to be effective in primetime." He continued: “It will be very adverse to our finances. [The news is] fundamentally is a better financial plan for us.” The peacock network isn’t taking the news lightly—president John Eck countered by saying, “WHDH's move is a flagrant violation of the terms of their contract with NBC,” and threatened to strip its affiliation. Boston is the seventh-largest television market, and if other affiliates jump onboard, the “innovative” new show could wind up dead on arrival.