On Fri, Aug 17, 2012 at 9:05 PM, Tom Wolper <[email protected]> wrote:
> According to Deadline Hollywood: > > > http://www.deadline.com/2012/08/tonight-show-lays-off-20-staffers-jay-leno-takes-pay-cut-to-save-jobs/ > > "NBC insiders tell me The Tonight Show went through ”downsizing” > today and that 20 staffers lost their jobs. Others tell me the number > is more like 25, and producers were forced to take pay cuts or lose > their jobs. I’ve also learned that Jay Leno took what is being > described as a “tremendous” pay cut to “save as many people’s jobs as > he could”." > There are several irritating things about this article. Just to point out two: 1. "Leno has said publicly that he’s able to bank his entire *Tonight Show *salary and live on the hefty fees he makes from his hectic personal appearance schedule." This makes it sound like he said it once in an obscure french language news magazine interview, instead of what he actually does, which is say almost every freaking time he is interviewed. 2. "When his ratings dipped, O’Brien was asked to move *The Tonight Show*‘s time slot later to make room for Leno’s return at 11:30 PM. O’Brien refused. NBC gave Conan a $40M payoff (including salaries for his staff) to leave *The Tonight Show* hosting job which Leno resumed in 2010." I have sworn a blood oath to call bullshit on this whenever I see it for the rest of the 21st century. Bullshit. O'Brien was asked to move the Tonight Show to 12:01 am when *Leno's* primetime ratings "dipped" (read, "tanked"). Conan's Tonight Show ratings were not off track for where he was in his trajectory, and not worse than ratings Leno had when he returned. The idea that Conan got fired (or "relocated") because of his bad ratings is the cover story that assholes at NBC concocted to save face, and that has been perpetuated be Leno every chance he gets. -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
