Tonight Show with Jay Leno to be cancelled?

Serves him right for screwing over Conan.
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[link to www.californiachronicle.com]

JAY Leno may be the next high-profile late-night host looking for a replacement.

Four months after taking back the "Tonight Show," Leno's ratings are actually behind those of Conan O'Brien.

The reality is starting to sink in at NBC that Leno is not only getting fewer viewers, but that his show is costing the cash- strapped network between $10 million and $15 million more a year than Conan's show did.

Leno's higher salary - $30 million per year vs. Conan's $15 million - plus the cost of his bigger production staff is pushing the show into the red, according to insiders.

"It's got the potential to be a huge embarrassment," says the source.

NBC is about to be taken over in a $28-billion deal with the cable giant Comcast.

"You can't figure they're happy about this," says the insider.

Leno has at least two more years to go on his NBC deal.

But, as Leno himself joked at the height of the late-night mess last January, "NBC stands for 'Never Believe your Contract.' "

It is increasingly clear that the bitter feud between Leno and O'Brien last spring has badly damaged Leno's appeal.

Even though Leno beats David Letterman most weeks, ABC's nightly newsmagazine, "Nightline," is now the top-rated show after 11:30 p.m.

Of most concern to NBC is that the numbers for Leno - who is seen by about 4 million people a night - are going down.