CONAN TO REPLACE JAY IN 2009.

Byline: Valerie Kuklenski Staff Writer

After an 11-year audition, Conan O'Brien has been tapped to replace Jay Leno as host of NBC's ``Tonight Show'' when Leno retires in 2009.

The network announced the succession Monday morning to entertainment reporters and Leno made it official with viewers on Monday's broadcast, which was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the show.

``In 2009, I'll be 59 years old and will have had this dream job for 17 years,'' Leno said in a statement. ``When I signed my new contract, I felt that the timing was right to plan for my successor and there is no one more qualified than Conan.

``Plus, I promised Mavis (his wife) I would take her out for dinner before I turned 60,'' the notoriously workaholic comedian added.

O'Brien's new contract calls for hosting his New York-based ``Late Night With Conan O'Brien'' (the show and 12:30 a.m. time slot he inherited from David Letterman) until 2009, when he moves to the NBC Burbank studios for ``The Tonight Show.''

O'Brien said he considers ``Tonight'' ``one of the greatest franchises in television'' and he thanked Leno for his generous support.

In a 2002 interview coinciding with his 10th anniversary, Leno said, `` 'The Tonight Show' is a bit like the America's Cup. You just try not to screw it up for the next guy. I don't want to be the guy who runs it into the ground.''

``The Tonight Show'' has led or tied the ratings against top rival Letterman on CBS' ``The Late Show'' and easily trounces ABC newsmagazine ``Nightline.'' Letterman closed the margin last week when his guests included Sen. John Kerry.

Leno's tenure has seen the ridiculous (the Dancing Itos during the O.J. Simpson murder trial) and the unexpected (Arnold Schwarzenegger's stunning announcement that he would run for governor of California). His most popular regular comedy bits have included Headlines, a weekly skewering of typos, strange ads and ``duh'' moments in newspapers, and Jaywalking, his man-on-the-street conversations with some of Los Angeles' least-enlightened residents and visitors.

O'Brien's popular bits include his mock interviews with news makers staged with a photograph superimposed over an actor mimicking the voice.

O'Brien will be the fifth ``Tonight Show'' host, following Leno (1992-2009), Johnny Carson (1962-1992), Jack Paar (1957-1962) and Steve Allen (1954-1957).

Valerie Kuklenski, [phone]

valerie.kuklenski(at)dailynews.com