Conan says no to later time slot

Conan O'Brien released a statement Tuesday that he doesn't accept the move proposed by NBC. The proposed plan by NBC would move Leno back to 11:35 p.m. to do the "Jay Leno Show" and have Conan do the "Tonight Show" at 12:05 a.m.

Conan O'Brien says according to a statement on CNN, "My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of 'The Tonight Show.' But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. "Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more." The main prompt for the change is the "Jay Leno Show" not getting as high ratings as NBC would have liked. NBC told CNN, that the show "didn't meet affiliates' needs" despite performing at acceptable levels for the network." The deal to give O'Brien the "Tonight Show" was a deal made six years ago by the network. The last Jay Leno Show at 10 PM will air February 11, a day before the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver Canada.