Leno Bowing Out in May

Jay Leno's last appearance as host of the Tonight Show will be the final Friday in May, reports Broadcasting & Cable. Conan O'Brien will take over the following Monday. In the several months between O'Brien's leaving Late Night and his Tonight Show debut, NBC plans a huge promotional campaign to keep his profile high.

"We may do something like Conan criss-crossing America," said an NBC spokesman. "There will be other ways that Conan will be very present and in the consciousness of the public." NBC executives, meanwhile, are negotiating to try to keep Leno with the network in some capacity. (More Jay Leno stories.)