Conan Threatens To Walk From 'Tonight Show'

Conan O’Brian released a statement Tuesday declaring that unless NBC changes its plan to move The Tonight Show to 12:05 am, he’s walking away from the network and his $40 million two-year contract. "So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it," he said. "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." Though there has been speculation that Fox would offer to match NBC’s deal, O’Brian says that at this time he has not received any offers from other networks and is unsure of what the future holds. –JOE GALBO