BURBANK : NBC Orders Appearance by Newsman Canceled

Lawyers for NBC on Thursday ordered “The Tonight Show” to cancel tonight’s appearance by war correspondent Arthur Kent, who has been battling the network’s news division in an unusually ugly contract dispute.

Kent, who came to national prominence covering the Persian Gulf War for NBC, has been embroiled in a bitter standoff with the network for two weeks. The network, which suspended him without pay, says he refused a safe assignment to Zagreb, Croatia, to cover the turmoil in the Balkans. Kent contends that the network set him up, ordering him into a war zone the same day that his attorney informed the network that until the contract dispute was settled, the correspondent would not accept hazardous duty.

Kushnick would not comment. But a high-ranking source on “The Tonight Show” said the producer was extremely upset with the network’s move, and had refused to comply until NBC put its order in writing. For his part, host Jay Leno plans to spoof the situation on the program tonight, sources said.