Conan fighting Tonight Show move

Conan O'Brien is resisting moving The Tonight Show to a 12.05 a.m. timeslot to make way for Jay Leno.

O'Brien released a statement Tuesday saying he would not continue to host the show if it is moved.

"I sincerely believe that delaying The Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting," he said in his statement. "The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't The Tonight Show."

O'Brien's comments came two days after NBC outlined its plan to move The Jay Leno Show to 11.35 p.m., pushing The Tonight Show back half an hour.

O'Brien claims he has no rival offer from another network, he just thinks moving the show to a later timeslot will hurt its chances of success and further tangle prospects for Jimmy Fallon on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Venerable franchise

O'Brien said he believes he has not been given a chance to make The Tonight Show work with his own stamp.

"After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule," O'Brien said.

O'Brien had signed a contract six years ago to take Leno's spot and said he passed up other opportunities to takeon the venerable franchise, once hosted by Johnny Carson.

Moving the show will result in its destruction, he said, adding that he is hoping for further talks with NBC to resolve the impasse.

"I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next," he said.