Nikki Finke is reporting that CBS has offered the post of hosting this year's Tony Awards ceremony to Conan O'Brien but that it's unlikely he'll do it due to the terms of his NBC settlement agreement. I suspect it's even more unlikely that he'll do it because it would be a lunkheaded career move for him. The next time O'Brien appears on TV, there's going to be a massive tune-in to see him, just because it's his first time back and because people want to hear what he'll say, particularly in the trashing of NBC. It's understandable that CBS would want that audience for a CBS show but I can't fathom why Conan would want to squander the moment on a project that would in no way benefit Conan O'Brien. A Conan O'Brien primetime special, maybe. A promotion for his next new ongoing venture or the debut of that venture, certainly.
But the Tony Awards? Come now. The Tony Awards aren't and shouldn't be about the host. Conan would have to cram his triumphant return to television into a seven-minute monologue and then turn around and introduce Alec Baldwin to present the Tony for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. That would sure waste a lot of heat.