TBS: Conan can stay as long as he wants

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- TBS says talk-show host Conan O'Brien will have a job on the U.S. cable network for as long as he wants one.

O'Brien moved to TBS last fall after nearly two decades at NBC, first starring in "Late Show with Conan O'Brien," then on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien." He left the network last year after executives attempted to move the time of "Tonight" back later.

EW.com quoted Michael Wright, head of programming at TBS, as saying at a Los Angeles press event this week that nightly viewership for the network's new "Conan" show averages about 1 million adults in the 18-49 age range.

"It's landing right about where we expected it to. At this number, 'Conan' will run as long as he wants it to," Wright said.

"My goal is not to do this forever," O'Brien added. "I just want to do this really well for a period of time until I have nothing left to say and then go away."