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Not since the Helen Kushnick debacle 15 years ago when his manager crashed and burned as The Tonight Show‘s exec producer has Jay Leno taken such a terrible PR wallop as he did today. Today’s Drudge headline, misleadingly, says “Leno fires staff” when what happened is that about 120 of the show’s non-writing staffers today were laid off by NBC due to Leno’s refusal along with the rest of the Top 5 late night hosts to cross WGA picket lines (since they’re all guild members and supporting the writers). And everyone knows Jay was treated horribly by NBC which ordered him to leave in 2009 to make way for Conan – the result of yet another shake-up orchestrated by Jeff Zucker in a brutal way. Problem is, Leno looks like a shit for lotsa other reasons.
The worst is that news reports trumpeted that, just a couple of days after the WGA strike began November 5th, he assured staffers they didn’t have to worry because their paychecks would be safe. 
So I was told many of the laid-off employees left NBC’s Burbank offices this morning in a sea of tears and expressing a sense of betrayal and wondering aloud “Where’s Jay?” (Along with some vocal muttering about the big bucks he spends on his famous car collection…) True, Jay’s Big Dog Productions only co-produces The Tonight Show whereas David Letterman’s Worldwide Pants owns The Late Show and The Late Late Show and is paying production staff. But today Conan O’Brien, whose company Conaco also doesn’t own Late Night, began picking up the tab for his show’s 80 employees which sure puts Leno in an awkward position since he hasn’t. Especially since it’s so well known that Jay lives off his outside gigs and banks his Tonight Show salary.
It’s one thing to be angry at NBC and not want to help the network, yet quite another to not financially help The Tonight Show employees who helped make him No. 1 in the ratings pre-strike. Instead of doing it himself, Leno had his assistant notify the staff yesterday that they would get their Christmas bonus early. Well, big fucking deal. (One news report said the bonus is only $100 for each year worked.) I, for one, don’t understand why right now Leno isn’t front and center or making a statement or otherwise protecting his public image — especially if he exits NBC to jump-start Fox’s late night talk in 2009.
- Conan O’Brien To Pay Staff
- WGA Scolds Carson Daly For Returning ‘To Support Staff’ And Seeking Scab Jokes
- Letterman Confirms He’s Paying His Staff
- Dave Opens Own Wallet To Pay His Staff
- Tonight Show Returns With Guest Hosts After Leno’s Nonwriting Staff Laid Off
- Strike Forces Late Night TV Into Repeats
- Leno vs NBC: Last Night’s Latest Round…
- Is Leno Starting to Hint About His Future?
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Jay Leno is not the one who laid off the workers. NBC is. If you have a gripe, call Zucker. Jay is on the picket line not just because he supports the writers, it’s because he IS a writer. If you are out of work because of the strike, don’t blame the writers or people like Jay, BLAME THE STUDIOS! They are the bad guys. If you don’t understand this, either take time and read up on the facts, or get out of the business.
Before you press types went pissing on Leno, did anyone bother to call him to see what his side of this story is? NO! But that’s the Internet for you – some douche with a hundred dollar check sees the 15 minutes of fame and just makes the pack of wolves run for the piece of meat. This picking up the check by Late Nighters is the vying for first place war. Do you think the generosity move was not SELF motivated on the other
guys’ parts? Perhaps Leno isn’t playing the game! If Leno said he’d take care of his staff, the guy will, maybe not on the PR playing field.
All of these staffers who are wailing over their pink slips better get a grip. They are officially out of a job in 19 months. A very cushy job with a boss who basically gives them no grief. Let Leno’s people go to work for some of the other hosts and see how much they enjoy life in daily television. Perhaps they want a $15 gift card to I Tunes for a Christmas bonus. Perhaps they want to sit around until all hours of the night waiting for the host to make up his or her mind about what’s going to air tomorrow, or to wake up from a nap before they can shoot a show. Leno comes to work and goes home or goes to work again. He puts no demands on his staff’s time. He gives them a job where they can enjoy their weekends, have time off to deal with their families, and collect a DAILY wage in television. And he does step up to the plate if there is an emergency need. Not a trivial one, like I can’t meet my mortgage payment because I blew all my cash in Vegas, but a real need!! Find me another group of people that are so well treated! All of this anger directed at Jay makes me gag. Of course the guy has his faults, who the hell doesn’t! If these staffers hated him so much and hated working for him why the hell didn’t they quit years ago. Why weren’t they dispelling the nice guy rumor for the last 15 years? Because truth be told they don’t have a damn thing to BITCH about. And guess what, they are all hanging on Jay’s every word about what his next gig is because they ALL expect him to provide their next job. Well I guess the cats out of the bag. They hate him and they will be looking for work elsewhere! They expect Jay to take them right along with him to Tomorrow Land. Well they just lost their ticket and now they are living in Fantasy Land. I wonder if the benevolent O’Brien will feel sorry for the 175 Tonight Show staffers who are out of a job to make room for him! Perhaps he will write their severance checks from week to week while they look for their next great gig in DAILY television. They only have ONE show on their resume! Who the hell will hire them???
Let’s get real here. The Tonight Show staffers don’t have a damn clue what it means to be on strike and who the real culprit is! I’ve lived through a few strikes with my family members when I was growing up – EVERYBODY in the building went out when any union went on strike – WHY? Because EVERYONE knew the BAD GUY wasn’t the necessarily their boss, the BAD GUY WAS THE BIG BOSS – the corporate talking heads who were driving their Lincoln Continentals and taking vacations in Miami Beach. They knew if they all stuck together EVERYONE would get a better deal. If these staffers had walked off the job – every staffer in the industry – walked off the job with the writers in solidarity, this thing would have been over DAY 2. That’s what it means to shut it down – SHUT IT DOWN.
NBC UNIVERSAL is laying these staffers off – not JAY LENO. NBC UNIVERSAL and their spokeholes of the AMPTP are stalling this strike. And guess what Leno staffers; this strike is also about making your jobs obsolete! Because these STUDIOS have already figured out how to get the job done faster, cheaper and WITHOUT YOU!
LENO’s kept you working all these years. NBC UNIVERSAL laid you off!!! Take your grief to Zucker’s doorstep and kiss your boss’s ass for keeping you gainfully employeed all these years EVERY F’en DAY!!!!
Semper Fi
Jay has at least hit the picket lines. Where is Dave, Stewart, Colbert, Ferguson, and Conan?
I’m just asking here. Do WGA members feel the same anger towards A-list actors who are shooting movies right now, as they do for Carson Daly? Don’t THEY mean a lot more as far as putting pressure on the media companies?
I work for The Tonight Show, and have for fifteen years. Jay Leno didn’t fire anyone — NBC FIRED 200 PEOPLE four weeks before Christmas. The hard work of the Tonight Show staff, all of us, makes NBC a profit of 100-million dollars a year off the tonight show, and they had to fire the entire staff? Jay Leno is the greatest boss in the world — this is NBC hurting innocent hardworking people to get to Jay.
Jeez, as writers you guys don’t have a clue. You caused the layoffs by going on strike. The Producers and the strikers are to blame while Jay is stuck in the middle between his current staff, the writers, and the network that already has told him he will be let go in a couple of years.
If you want to strike, that’s fine but don’t blame other people for the cause of your actions.
I am here to tell you that over the years Leno has been an incredibly generous and caring boss.
Unknown to the public Jay has paid for funerals, cancer treatments and has help set-up trust funds. He has always been there for his televison family regardless of the above the line or below the line status. And his caring doesn’t stop when the check has been written. Jay always followed up with a personal conversation of support and encouragement. In this business of plastic Leno is the real deal.
With emotions running high let’s not forget that one person’s history and actions speak far louder than a missed handled affair.
Jay protected all of those people for years. He only has a year left on his contract. It’s not like Conan who needs his staff for the move to Universal. Nobody’s even missed a paycheck yet and still they sold Jay down the river. It sucks being a nice guy in show business, especially at a show with hundreds of employees who want to squeeze every last dollar out of their last year on air.
There’s gratitude for you.
Okay, let’s try this again. The fact that none of the late night shows have been on during November sweeps is costing the networks millions. Sweeps is when the networks set commercial ad rates for the next three months based on ratings. The fact that reruns produce lower ratings not only means the networks have to agree to a lower rate for commercials, it also means the shows are not delivering at a previously promised sweeps rating (let’s say 3.1 rather than 4.1) and thus have to give “make goods” or FREE commercial time to sponsors. So, if you think the networks are sitting back and counting their money from late night so far, you couldn’t be more wrong. They assumed all the hosts would come humbly back on Nov 19. When they didn’t, the networks got angry.
Maybe Jay will bring donuts to the unemployment line.
Gee, as much as I wanted to jerk my knee on this story, there just isn’t enough hard information to get it to even twitch, be it here or elsewhere. Too many unanswered questions followed by muttered anger and broad swipes at anything in reach. Time to let the smoke clear a bit.
One thought… if the Tonight Show’s staff is fired by NBC, then don’t they at least qualify for unemployment?
While that in no way makes up for the loss of income, it’s better than nothing. If staff is paid, for how long? And does that in turn impact unemployment benefits if the strike lingers well into the New Year?
Thus far, Jay has honored the line and brings a very public face to these proceeding something that must annoy AMPTP to no end. That itself, is priceless.
The real battle raging here is represented by the soldiers on the lines and fought at a table in a back room yet it is the outside world opinion of AMPTP and their losing the PR battle that might still be the best weapon to bring to bear. Look at what the various actors are willing bringing to this battle… their faces, their skills, another weapon in the PR battle and ultimately the “treaty” for a fair resolution to this situation.
pb
You think of Carson and Ellen as scabs and it makes your skin crawl? Well, I think of them as lifesavers. Myself and other “below the line” employees depend on this to pay the bills. Not working is killing me. I wish I was on Ellen or Carson’s staff, I might have a job right now. We don’t get residuals for reruns, nor will we get anything from whatever contract the WGA works out. We’re just SOL until the WGA and AMPTP end their pissing match. So instead of thinking just about yourself and your future, think of the other people that have nothing to do with the WGA and are out of work, yet not complaining nearly as much as you. Ellen has a contractual obligation to fill, otherwise she loses her timeslot. Carson had to choose between several writers and 50 or more staffers. I am glad of the choice he made because he sacrificed few for many. Oh, and those that were out of work while Carson was not taping lost full pay, they won’t be getting residual checks to soften the blow like the striking writers. Want to share your residuals with us?
The reason writers and strike supporters are coming down on Leno for not paying his staff while the strike persists is because they are in DENIAL that in their pursuit for their own monetary improvement it is BANKRUPTING people who have no voice, no residuals…no chance.
It’s not Jay’s fault they’re not getting paid it’s the writers. I understand the reasons for the strike, but OWN UP to the consequences YOU’RE actions have created. Don’t create a villain to pass the buck of your responsibility.
The tenor of the articles and comments on DHD has changed over the course of the strike. I used to come here to get news and a sense of what was going on. Now the site is evolving into more of an in-house organ for the WGA. Sure their side is more sympathetic, but is DHD willing to sacrifice its rep as the place to go for the latest, unvarnished Hollywood news to become the place to go for the WGA’s latest position? Don’t become Pravda.
Jay will come through for his staff somehow. He has to.
I don’t know what the deal is w/ Jay. Give him the B of the D. Considering his situation w/ NBC & how they’re trying to get rid of him/not get rid of him in 2009 in favor of Conan, he might surprise people.
Jay never takes a personal hit in the wallet. He’ll auction off his TS set but won’t match the funds. Same with the autographed bikes. Cheap cheap cheap. The only time he’s been generous was to his wife’s Afghani charity to the tune of fifty grand. Big deal, and that was years ago.
We pick on Jay instead of Tina, et al, because he has made so damned much money for so long and because he is selfishly protective of it. Guess he needs it for his ever expanding porn collection.
What will Helga do now?!
The major issue seems to be that Leno said their paychecks were safe but didn’t do anything to insure that, whereas Tina Fey et. al. made no such promises.
It’s hard to say, a lot of conflicting information on this is coming up.
First of all, all you posters who say the writers’ comments here have deteriorated, etc blah blah blah
Most of the commenters here aren’t writers, and if they are, they aren’t working writers
This site has become quite well known and draws many non-industry people nationwide (including those Drudge people)
The working writers would not tip their hand by posting here as it is quite public, and the studios DO troll these sites (pathetic, low tech strategy, but true)
The ignorant people and/or trolls who keep on with the tired accusations that writers are responsible for this strike, writers are starving babies, etc. can just stop.
People on this site are too smart to buy it. Everyone knows there are trolls and everyone is laughing at AMPTP’s desperation and downward spiral
AMPTP is another example of out of control greedy corporate America. AMPTP is deliberately delaying this strike – they will end it when it suits their timetable.
AMPTP is the one playing games with everyone’s livelihood – including the writers who also need to meet their rent.
So, direct your venom to AMPTP. The more you direct your venom to the wrong party, the writers, the more YOU contribute to this strike’s length. You are playing into AMPTP’s hand – they want to generate divisiveness to weaken writers.
Writers are standing strong and arent’ budging. Their terms are laughably reasonable and small.
For those of you who are genuine out of work people, if you want your jobs back quickly, direct your wrath at AMPTP.
Put the blame where it belongs. On NBC, Zucker and Silverman.
Why are people in an uproar about the Jay, Carson and Ellen but not Russell Crowe who is thisclose to signing on to State of Play? Isn’t he crossing the picket line? Reportedly Brad Pitt wanted to wait until the strike was over before starting SOP. More big name actors should follow his lead and I bet you this strike would be over in days. I hope the WGA has a long memory and remembers those who supported their cause (Pitt)and those who didn’t(possibly Crowe).
Yeah, you know, to the general public, it doesn’t make a lick of difference if the show is owned by the network or by the star. Not only do people expect Leno to do the same thing Letterman and O’Brien do, Leno SAID HE WOULD.
Real classy, Jay.
quote: “So instead of thinking just about yourself and your future, think of the other people that have nothing to do with the WGA and are out of work, yet not complaining nearly as much as you.”
There would be no tv show or movie without the writers. We are not the enemy. It begins and ends with someone writing something down. After those words are down, then it is a huge collaboration beautifully talented people with many skills. BUT it all starts with the words on paper.
As much as it hurts to be out of work, the writers know this is an important issue. We are certainly not comfortable being on strike. But we have to do it. And if you have a beef with it, then you probably don’t value our work anyway.
jupiterjoy…
It doesn’t begin with the written word, it begins with MONEY.
Everyone is making comments about Jay Leno – not one showrunner has stepped up to help with crew members out of work. What is up with that?????