People of Earth:
In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I
want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling
sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most
and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said,
I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are
demanding an immediate decision.
Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight
Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson
every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything
to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more
lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours
thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my
mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some
time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the
prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible
without both.
But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months,
with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their
terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their
long-established late night schedule.
Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight
Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the
Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I
sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to
accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to
be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show
at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will
be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and
passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt
the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.
So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy
hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for
me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and
we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But
I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some
people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot
doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter
more.
There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set
the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no
idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly
so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a
company that values our work.
Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair;
it's always been that way.
Yours,
Conan
Regards,
KGB
-----
Kevin G. Barkes
Email: [email protected]
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