All smiles for Leno, ’HDH

The Andover native visited NBC affiliate WHDH-TV (Channel 7) and taped promos with anchors Kim Khazei and Frances Rivera for “The Jay Leno Show,’’ which debuts Sept. 14.

Leno’s visit was a way to show support for WHDH, which made national news in April when station owner Ed Ansin said he planned to launch a 10 p.m. newscast instead of Leno’s new one-hour show. Shortly after NBC officials publicly threatened to pull WHDH’s NBC affiliation, Ansin reversed his decision.

Inside WHDH studios yesterday, Leno cheerily shook hands with station employees and posed for photos. In between interviews, Leno said he understood why the station wanted to run its own 10 p.m. newscast instead of his show.

“I think WHDH had a legitimate argument with NBC, prior to me even getting this show,’’ said Leno, who still has a home in Andover. He added that none of the previous NBC shows in that time slot, such as “My Own Worst Enemy,’’ “Kidnapped,’’ and “Lipstick Jungle’’ were doing well.

Indeed, NBC has had a chronic ratings slump at 10 p.m. The weak programming in that time slot has hurt WHDH’s 11 p.m. newscast, which had traditionally dominated late-night news. (In the July sweeps, though, the station regained its top perch at 11 p.m. among viewers ages 25-54.)

Leno said that his visit yesterday was part of his effort to reassure WHDH and other affiliates about his new entertainment show. Later yesterday, he planned to host a private comedy show at Emerson College, which has a building named after Ansin. After Boston, Leno heads to NBC affiliates in Chicago and Atlanta, where he will continue his promotional tour before returning to Los Angeles.

“My dad was a salesman. You go out and service the customer. If there’s a customer that is not happy, you go see him and that’s why I’m here,’’ said Leno, who spent most of yesterday taping promos and interviews with Khazei and Rivera and with anchors from NBC affiliates in Portland, Providence, and Hartford. “You come back and give people assurances. You guys tell me what you want me to do. Tell me to come here, and I’m here.’’

WHDH officials say they’re hopeful that Leno and the new show will breathe new life into the late-night lineup. To plug Leno’s visit and new show, the station ran several promos and gave away tickets to Leno’s appearance at Emerson.

“He’s a local guy. This market is important to him,’’ said Chris Wayland, general manager and vice president of WHDH. “We have always supported his show. We think it’s going to be very successful at 10.’’

Leno, who until May 29 hosted “The Tonight Show,’’ said yesterday that the new show will include similar programming, such as his opening monologue, headlines, and “Jaywalking,’’ in which he queries people on the street about historical facts and current events. But there will be some additions.

Among key changes: the addition of guest comedians and entertainers. For one, NBC news anchor Brian Williams will be a regular featured guest to talk about odd news stories that didn’t make his evening newscast. Another new segment: the “Green Car Challenge,’’ in which celebrities will race each other in electric cars on a racetrack behind the show’s studio.

“I am excited about doing the show. I think I got into a bit of a rut of ‘The Tonight Show,’ ’’ Leno said.

The comic said he will do his best to make the show topical, to draw viewers away from competing network dramas at 10 p.m. Leno said NBC will air a fresh version of his show 46 weeks of the year - compared with the typical 22 weeks available for most such fare. Still, he acknowledged there is stiff competition during that hour.

“Nobody expects to beat ‘CSI: Miami’ - it’s one of the slickest-produced shows out there. Hopefully, we can catch them in reruns or when there is a fast-breaking news story of that nature,’’ he said.

Johnny Diaz can be reached at jodiaz@globe.com.