NBC considering pushing 'Jay Leno Show' back to 11:35

NBC is considering a significant schedule change for its late-night lineup that would push The Jay Leno Show back to Leno’s old Tonight Show spot of 11:35 p.m., according to The New York Times. Under the plan, Leno’s show would be reduced to 30 minutes; as a result, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien would shift to 12:05 a.m. (instead of 11:35 p.m.), and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon would begin at 1:05 a.m. (instead of 12:35 a.m.)

NBC’s new late-night schedule would go into effect after the Feb. 28 conclusion of the 2010 Winter Olympics, which the network is covering.

Earlier today, NBC responded to Internet rumors that the network was considering canceling The Jay Leno Show in wake up of the 10 p.m. program’s dwindling ratings. “Jay Leno is one of the most compelling entertainers in the world today,” NBC said in a statement. “As we have said all along, Jay’s show has performed exactly as we anticipated on the network. It has, however, presented some issues for our affiliates. Both Jay and the show are committed to working closely with them to find ways to improve performance.”