what made whdh only nbc affiliate not air jay leno show at 10 pm then other nbc affiliates

WHDH resisted airing Jay Leno’s 10 p.m. show because its owner believed a local 10 p.m. newscast would make more money and protect the station’s late news ratings. The move set up a brief standoff with NBC, since the network saw the refusal as a contract problem, but WHDH eventually backed down and carried Leno to keep its NBC affiliation.

Why WHDH pushed back

WHDH’s position was basically business-driven, not ideological. Owner Ed Ansin said the Leno show would hurt the station financially and damage the audience for its 11 p.m. newscast, while a local 10 p.m. newscast could bring in better revenue and stronger local control.

Why it stood out

It got attention because WHDH was the one NBC affiliate willing to openly defy NBC at launch, while most other affiliates accepted the program. NBC responded strongly, calling the refusal a violation of the affiliation terms and threatening the station’s network relationship.

What happened next

After about two weeks, WHDH agreed to air Leno at 10 p.m., and the station kept its NBC affiliation. That compromise ended the immediate dispute, even though the broader criticism of NBC’s late-night strategy continued afterward.

TL;DR: WHDH said no to Leno because it thought local news at 10 p.m. would earn more and protect its late-newscast audience, but NBC pressure forced a reversal.