• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, April 13, 2009

The Boston NBC affiliate that threatened not to carry Jay Leno's new variety show this fall has capitulated. Its owner said Monday the channel will air it in the 10 p.m. hour.

Ed Ansin, the head of Sunbeam Television, which also owns the CW outlet in Boston, said in a statement that the company has changed its mind "upon further consideration," but offered no details. Sunbeam had wanted to air a newscast in the coming "Leno" hour.

NBC had been apoplectic at Sunbeam's intentions and indicated it could yank its affiliation agreement with it.

But NBC executive John Eck said Monday the network was satisfied with the agreement and "we look forward to working closely with the station on a successful launch in Boston."

While Ansin threatened dramatic action, the CEO of NBC's second-largest affiliate group, Hearst-Argyle, said he would prefer NBC not go with Leno in prime time either -- or any programming at 10 p.m. CEO David Barrett said he would prefer NBC to allow affiliates to do what Ansin had wanted and air news in the 10 p.m. time slot.

"My hope and suggestion had been that Leno come on at 11 o'clock and the affiliates would have gotten 10 o'clock," said Barrett back in February. The station group has 10 NBC stations.