NBC plans to announce on Wednesday its plan to install Mr. Fallon as the show’s sixth host at the conclusion of the network’s coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics from Sochi, Russia. NBC also is to confirm reports that it plans to shake up the axes of the television industry by moving the show from its longtime home in Los Angeles to its birthplace, New York.
The announcement comes after weeks of news media reports that the changes were imminent and speculation about behind-the-scenes friction between NBC and Mr. Leno. Tensions between the two stretch back to Mr. Leno’s first departure from “Tonight” in 2009 and the tumultuous transition to Conan O’Brien that followed. That move ended with Mr. O’Brien leaving the network after eight months on the show and Mr. Leno resuming his role as host.
But Mr. Leno said in an interview: “The main difference between this and the other time is I’m part of the process. The last time the decision was made without me. I came into work one day and — you’re out.” This time around “there really aren’t any complications like there were the last time,” he added. “This time it feels right.”
Creating that feeling was the stated aim of Steve Burke, the chief executive of NBCUniversal, who took a lead role in the current change effort to ensure that Mr. Leno would receive full respect for his contributions to the network.
“Clearly our goal has been to make this a smooth transition,” Mr. Burke said in a telephone interview. “Jay deserves to be treated like someone who has done a wonderful thing for our company for two decades.”
To underscore that commitment Mr. Burke contacted Mr. Leno late last month to try to quell a dispute between Mr. Leno and Robert Greenblatt, the top NBC entertainment executive in Los Angeles. Mr. Greenblatt had irritated the host by questioning why he was making barbed jokes about the network’s ratings. After the incident Mr. Leno and his executive producer, Debbie Vickers, began to feel isolated from NBC’s West Coast management.
Mr. Burke called Mr. Leno on March 20 and expressed concern about the speculation surrounding his status. Mr. Burke flew to Los Angeles the following Sunday and met for an hour with Mr. Leno and Ms. Vickers at the “Tonight” offices in Burbank. He assured Mr. Leno that he wanted him to feel comfortable with the transition plan, and that the host could stay on to the last day of his contract next September if that was his choice.
Mr. Leno said he told Mr. Burke: “I appreciate that, but it’s not really necessary. And I don’t want to make it harder for Jimmy. I want to hand off something that’s going to make it easier.”
Mr. Leno said he suggested, “If we really want to give him a good send-off, how about after the Olympics?” He said the Winter Games in February would give NBC the chance to promote the new host to big audiences and avoid more competitive start-up times like the summer. “ ‘The Tonight Show’ was No. 1 when I got it,” Mr. Leno said. “I’ve kept it No. 1 one for about 90 percent of my term here, and I would like to see Jimmy keep it at No. 1, which I’m sure he will.”
Mr. Fallon, meanwhile, was waiting for the smoke to clear. His contract for his own NBC show, “Late Night,” had two years left to run, taking him into 2015. He decided to concentrate on his show, stepping back and allowing Mr. Leno and NBC to decide on a plan. He said he never wanted any part of pushing anyone to do anything. “I just kind of wanted to keep doing my job well,” he said.
Amid the overheated rumors of the past month, Mr. Fallon said he and Mr. Leno talked frequently and made sure they remained on friendly terms. “I have nothing but respect for Jay,” Mr. Fallon said. “If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have a show to be taking over.”
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: April 3, 2013
An earlier version of this article misstated the length of Conan O’Brien’s tenure hosting “The Tonight Show.” It was eight months, not nine weeks.
Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/04/business/media/nbc-confirms-fallon-will-succeed-leno.html?partner=rss&emc=rss