JANN WENNER'S ROLLING STONE: David Letterman Questions NBC's Release of Jay Leno

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Letterman, 61, questioned why NBC is proceeding with its plan to remove Leno, who consistently tops the late-night ratings, reports the new issue of Rolling Stone.

Conan O’Brien will take over “Tonight” in June 2009, with Jimmy Fallon moving into O’Brien’s “Late Night” chair.

“Unless I’m misunderstanding something, I don’t know why, after the job Jay has done for them, why they would relinquish that,” Letterman said, adding, “I have to believe he was not happy about it.”

Letterman speculated whether “that’s actually what’s going to happen,” while acknowledging NBC might be too far down the road to retreat.

In the interview, David Letterman also remembers the last time he saw Warren Zevon.