Conan O’Brien Gets Contract Extension

NBC has given late-night host Conan O’Brien a five-year contract extension that runs through 2002.

When his “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” began in September 1993, it wasn’t given much chance to survive, even following “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.”

But O’Brien’s viewership in this past February sweeps was up 30 percent from a year ago, and he’s beating the competition in late-late night by 63 percent in adults 18-49.

“Hopefully this means I’ll be able to move out of the YMCA,” O’Brien said in NBC’s announcement.