NEW YORK (AP) -- NBC says it has reached a deal with ''Tonight'' host Conan O'Brien for his exit from the show, allowing Jay Leno to return to the late-night program he hosted for 17 years. The deal is worth a reported $44 million.
Network spokeswoman Allison Gollust confirmed the deal early Thursday but did not offer any other details. Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that O'Brien will get $32 million and that the network agreed to pay his staff $12 million in severance.
The announcement comes seven months after O'Brien took the reins from Leno.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/21/business/AP-US-TV-Conan-Leno.html?_r=1&emc=na
$44 million! That's not shabby! The whole thing is so nuts!
Wow. Conan got one of those CEO type deals. That's one hell of a golden parachute.
Not really. He was under contract for to be the host of the Tonight Show for I think $80 million. NBC is terminating that contract and to avoid Conan suing for breaking their deal they must give a a hefty severance.
It actually worked out well for Conan they could have forced him to break the contract by simply moving the Tonight Show to a later time since I don't believe the original contract said the show must be on at 11:30pm. Though NBC would have then not been able to keep the Tonight Show name and decades long reputation since they would have killed the show completely by putting "The Tonight Show" on the next day after midnight and on an hour where little people watch TV.
And so now Conan Obrien is even more fascinating to watch than ever.
Anyone cue in last night for his epic 1.5million moment last night Conan Blowing NBC's Money, Spends $1.5 Million For One Minute Segment (VIDEO)
And so now Conan Obrien is even more fascinating to watch than ever.
Anyone cue in last night for his epic 1.5million moment last night Conan Blowing NBC's Money, Spends $1.5 Million For One Minute Segment (VIDEO)
That was, hands down, the most awesome thing anyone has ever done on TV.And so now Conan Obrien is even more fascinating to watch than ever.
Anyone cue in last night for his epic 1.5million moment last night Conan Blowing NBC's Money, Spends $1.5 Million For One Minute Segment (VIDEO)
And he said his ratings were up 50% since this all started.
I suppose Jay's are up too.
Not really. He was under contract for to be the host of the Tonight Show for I think $80 million. NBC is terminating that contract and to avoid Conan suing for breaking their deal they must give a a hefty severance. It's not like a CEO deal where they are getting paid some arbitrary figure not in anyway due to them.
It actually worked out well for Conan they could have forced him to break the contract by simply moving the Tonight Show to a later time since I don't believe the original contract said the show must be on at 11:30pm. Though NBC would have then not been able to keep the Tonight Show name and decades long reputation since they would have killed the show completely by putting "The Tonight Show" on the next day after midnight and on an hour where little people watch TV.
If NBC wasn't a part of the state media, PBO might scold them for this payoff.
Unless the Government had a large percentage of shares in the company I highly doubt it.
It's interesting that you believe shareholders should have no say in how a company operates.
It's lame that Jay Leno retired and there was all this media buzz around it, and now he's just going to come back. That's show bizz for you.
I don't find O'Brien funny but gotta give him credit for being a Canadian that made it into the American spotlight. Not any easy thing to do.
He's not Canadian, though. He's from the Boston area.
I didn't say that. Care to address any other comments I didn't make?
He's not Canadian, though. He's from the Boston area.
Not really. He was under contract for to be the host of the Tonight Show for I think $80 million. NBC is terminating that contract and to avoid Conan suing for breaking their deal they must give a a hefty severance. It's not like a CEO deal where they are getting paid some arbitrary figure not in anyway due to them.
It actually worked out well for Conan they could have forced him to break the contract by simply moving the Tonight Show to a later time since I don't believe the original contract said the show must be on at 11:30pm. Though NBC would have then not been able to keep the Tonight Show name and decades long reputation since they would have killed the show completely by putting "The Tonight Show" on the next day after midnight and on an hour where little people watch TV.
Somebody, somewhere, will claim it was all planned as a publicity stunt.
Kind of like New Coke.
even the keebler elves need late night entertainment.You think dwarves and midgets all turn on their TV sets after midnight? :mrgreen:
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