After Billy Crystal’s decrepit and disappointing return as host of the Oscars this year, it appears that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is determined to avoid accusations of being antiquated for next year’s show. They are looking for a younger host to take the reins in 2013, and if the rumours are to be believed, they may have already found their man. Before Tom Sherak’s term as president of the Academy ended, he had reportedly been in talks with Lorne Michaels to produce next year’s telecast. Since the producer is usually the one to choose the host, it’s no surprise to hear that Michaels’ go to guy was NBC’s late night host Jimmy Fallon. There’s just one problem: NBC doesn’t have the broadcast rights to the Academy Awards, ABC does.

According to the L.A. Times, both Lorne Michaels and Jimmy Fallon have recently held discussions with the Academy about taking on next year’s Oscars. However, since Fallon is a late night personality for a competing network, the higher-ups at Disney (which owns ABC) are said to be unhappy with the idea of hiring him for the job. If you’re wondering why ABC doesn’t just hire their own late night guy Jimmy Kimmel, it’s because he is already hosting the Emmys this year, which prevents him from doing the Oscars as well.

It’s unclear exactly where that leaves the Academy. ABC does not officially have the power to veto the Academy’s choice, but they can probably make things difficult for them. Sherak says that he could not seal the deal before his term as president was up, so the job of finding a producer and host now falls to the Academy’s new president, Hawk Koch (which is an awesome name, by the way). What do you think, would Jimmy Fallon be a solid choice to host the Oscars or do you hope they are forced to go with someone else?