WHDH Says Leno Schmeno

Channel 7 WHDH, Boston's NBC affiliate, is saying no way to airing Jay Leno's new show at 10pm this fall, asserting it will air the station's local news program instead. It's a slap in the face to a local boy made good, and also "a flagrant violation of the terms of their contract with NBC," according to John Eck, president of NBC TV Network. NBC is threatening WHDH with cancellation of its affiliate status if the channel persists in dissing Jay. But Ed Ansin, who owns both WHDH and WLVI, says the Leno show "will be detrimental to our 11 o'clock" news program and feels that more news viewers will be around at 10. Will WHDH be un-NBC'ed? Stay tuned this fall to find out.