Jay Leno: Last 10 PM show to air Feb. 12

Breathlessly following the twitters coming from the winter Television Critics Association press tour, which is having its most-awaited session -- the one with NBC execs -- right now. New Jersey Star-Ledger critic Alan Sepinwall just revealed that NBC honcho Jeff Gaspin said that the last 10 PM episode of "The Jay Leno Show" will air on Feb. 12, right before the Olympics begin. (I'm guessing the program won't end with an appearance by all of the staffers' babies born during the show's run, as Leno's "Tonight" did.)

While Leno show "performed to our expectations, it did not meet our affiliates' needs," said Gaspin, as quoted by Sepinwall. "He has proposed Leno Show at 11:35, Conan's Tonight at 12:05, Late Night w/Fallon at 1:05, but 'talks are still ongoing.'"

Daniel Fienberg, who is live-blogging the NBC session, adds that "Gaspin says that he hopes the late night situation will be clarified by the start of the Olympics."

"Look, I would have liked nothing more than to give this a 52-week try," Gaspin told the critics. The issue was not with NBC, but with its affiliates. Writes Fienberg: "He claims affiliates started complaining in early November, that some affiliates fell from No. 1 to No. 3 in news ratings largely because of Leno. He emphasizes that 'The Jay Leno Show' did better in December, often coming in second. But the smaller affiliates started getting November numbers and in the middle of December, the drum-beating began, along with 'the possibility of preemption.'"

As for Conan, Gaspin said it was "a fluid situation" and "everybody has the weekend to think about it."

Sepinwall quotes Gaspin as saying that viewers didn't avoid Leno "because of the quality of the show or what the show was." "There were just so many other choices (at 10) that people thought were better."

What will replace Jay at 10? Initially, at least, expect a couple of dramas and plenty of "Dateline."