What's the future for Leno?

Will Jay stay or go?

Nothing is forever, and certainly not program ideas that just six months ago were proclaimed "the future of TV. Seriously." (Time, Sept. 3.)

But (seriously) what does Time know? What does anybody know? A new world order is about to take over at NBC — Comcast, the cable company that took NBC Universal off General Electric's hands last week. Maybe they know something.

Will "The Jay Leno Show" be on NBC, weeknights at 10 a year from now. Let us list the arguments.

"The Jay Leno Show" stays!

Still absorbing the $6 billion NBC price tag, Comcast decides cheap programming is better than costly.

Jay may not be "DVR-proof," but then . . . is anything?

Jay is hitting the target — about 5 million viewers a night — and "targets" are good, right?

"The Jay Leno Show" is essentially "The Tonight Show." Lots of viewers liked that, right?

Cancel "Leno," and NBC must launch five new weekly 10 p.m. shows.

Cancel "Leno," and the host eventually goes elsewhere, to beat the tar out of his former employer.

"The Jay Leno Show" goes!

NBC may not have a compelling need for a show like this anymore, given that it was part of an overall cost-cutting move as a prelude to selling the company.

Affiliate squawking — "it's killing our late local news!" — falls on sympathetic ears of Comcast CEO Steve Burke.

Five million viewers? What is this place? NBC or the CW? Comcast figures it just might do better with one-hour programs at 10.

"Leno" was a short-term solution in some respects, because when Jay retires five or 10 years from now, who are you gonna replace him with — Pat Sajak?

And the winning argument is ...

Neither! In fact, there appears to be no compelling argument to dump this show immediately. Plus, there are other options — "Leno" at 8? Or "Leno" at 10:30 (with local news at 10)? Both have been discussed in the past. But ... keep an eye on late winter, when the networks start ordering pilot scripts. If NBC orders a lot of hour-long programs, Jay's days, or months, could be numbered.

Verne Gay writes for Newsday. Via McClatchy-Tribune News Service.