BRUCE WILLIS COULD MOONLIGHT; CAN’T I?
Associated Press
Jim Lampley’s deal to cover the Olympics for Jay Leno lasted one night.
Only 15 minutes after Lampley, TNT’s Olympic host, made his first appearance on NBC’s “Tonight Show” Monday, CBS officials demanded that TNT pull the plug on the gig.
CBS, which paid $375 million for the Nagano Games, uses the Olympics as a lead-in to “The Late Show” with David Letterman and thought Lampley’s presence on NBC could siphon off some of its audience.
There is nothing in the agreement between CBS and TNT that allows CBS to demand Lampley’s removal, but CBS does issue credentials to all TNT staff and could revoke those privileges.