http://www.fancast.com/blogs/2010/tv-news/conan-obrien-i-wont-do-a-1205-tonight-show/?cmpid=FCST_itn

Now the ball is in NBC's court. They buy out Conan or fire Leno. Conan wins either way. He'll get 40+ million and will go to FOX or ABC if they say "no".

I think NBC will just fire Leno.

Fox wants him bad. No matter what happens, this is $$$ for Conan.

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Second City Saint

I'm sick of this story. Everyone involved can fuck off.

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"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." ~ H.L. Mencken

I agree.

How many more years will Jay be around? 2? 5 at the most? It would make zero financial sense to let Conan walk away, and you still have to pay him that boatload of money.

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Good for Conan. NBC made this mess with that horrible "9:00 pm every weekday" idea in the first place....

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Krazy, I keep reading and hearing the name Jeff Gaspin, who is the current boss of NBC Entertainment. Is he the idiot responsible for ruining NBC's once proud late night lineup?

I haven't watched. Conan might be a little to "vulgar" for the tonight show audience. Has he changed his act at all?

Not as lame...er...tame as Leno's stuff from the few times I have watched. But I'm sure he has toned it down a bit...

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Conan had a big following among college kids, and that's when he hosted "Late Night"...

The Jay Leno Show was a huge financial hit for GE/NBC, due to the low production costs of the Leno show vs. 5 other shows - especially dramas. But it was an unmitigated disaster for the affiliates, which saw their 10 pm newscast audience leave in droves. The local 10CST/11EST news broadcast is the cash cow for the affiliates and they get very, very pissy if you mess with their cow.

The affiliate in Boston, prior to the launch of the new Leno show, threatened to not to air it and start his news hour early. NBC responded by telling him they would strip his affiliation with NBC if that happened. There is a lot of crow being eaten in Rockefeller Center on this one.

The boss of Boston's WHDH wanted to air local news in that hour because he didn't think Leno in prime time would fly. Ditto for longtime Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone, whose company now owns CBS. Would you rather watch "CSI: Miami" w/David Caruso or Leno? "NCIS: Los Angeles" or Jay? "CSI: NY" w/Chicago's own Gary Sinise or Jay? "Private Practice" w/Kate Walsh or Jay? You get the idea...

ABC has stated they're not interested with Nightline/Kimmel in place. Conan hasn't delivered the 25-54 audience as expected. His style is not as big a contrast with Letterman's as Leno's was. FOX is his only option unless Comedy Central coughs up major dough, maybe his temporary home until Letterman retires but he probably would with Colbert/Stewart lead-ins (CBS and CC are both owned by Viacom). The current show is somewhat tamer than Late Night.

I could see Leno moving to a mid-morning show on NBC until his contract is exhausted. Still the time for old people/housewives to watch.

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I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires. -Susan B. Anthony

I thought their mid-morning show was the fourth hour of "The Today Show" featuring Kathie Lee Gifford...I bet she wouldn't be thrilled either...

It makes even more sense then. Salary dump. The only problem is Leno's up against The View, I think. Not a good matchup for the female audience. Give Leno a stupid game show. Revive Card Sharks or some shit.

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I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires. -Susan B. Anthony

CBS revived "Card Sharks" in 1986 with Bob "Newlywed Game" Eubanks as host of the daytime show with Bill Rafferty, formerly of "Real People", hosting the nighttime show in syndication...The latter of the two aired locally on WPWR 50, long before FOX bought the station and it became the city's MY Network TV station...It recently aired on GSN, which can be found on DIRECTV 309, although it's currently NOT on its schedule.

Send it in, Detroit!

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I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires. -Susan B. Anthony

2 guys making about 20 mil a year bitching about getting screwed...Please NBC screw me like that!

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Did you read the first few sentences of Conan's statement?

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Ivan,
Now I have...Thanks! You know,The Tonight Show WAS 90 minutes long for most of it's early history. I forgot what year they went 60m. I don't think it's that big a deal BUT I feel Leno should just go away. I DO like Jay as a comic,but his show is horrible!!!

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Agreed.

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If you haven't seen it, go to Hulu and check out Conan's monologues from Friday and Monday. He just keeps giving it to NBC, esp. Monday.

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I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires. -Susan B. Anthony

He keeps giving it to Leno too. That's what I love. "Chin shots" and "You fucked up my lead in, ruined local news and killed all of us" shots. It's awesome. Conan is sharp and creative with his insults.

Leno pisses on Conan too. He always talks about how he was number 1 in the "Tonight Show" slot when he got fired.

At the end of the day, NBC execs, Conan and Leno are all rich so it doesn't matter to any of them. Whomever made this "Leno before the news" decision at NBC will get fired. That's for sure.

FOX isn't a given because they have a lot of contracts for syndecated shows in the hours that Conan would be aired. Plus, as much as I think Conan's better than Jay and Dave, I don't think there's anyway he wouldn't finish 3rd behind the two of them at FOX. FOX probably knows that too so how much would they really pay him? The most likely place
to put him on FOX would be after the local news at 10. That puts his show straight up against The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, shows that appeal to the same demographics.

I RARELY watch any of the shows, but when I do, it's Conan.

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Second City Saint

What disgusts me is that Leno acts like he has no hand in this, as if he's at the mercy of NBC.

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I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires. -Susan B. Anthony

But I think enough of them do to guarantee 3rd. He already isn't beating Dave and I assume he wouldn't beat Leno either.

Jay Cutler > Jay Leno

True dat, KD. I think going against Colbert may have hurt him now. However, If he were to start at 11/10c and go against both shows, he may actually win. Colbert probably retains a lot of audience from the Daily Show, who's lazy ass doped up viewers (moi?) probably won't want to change the channel. (that's the American way). If, though, given the choice betwixt Conan and Stewart, DS/CR fans might just give and say, "I can watch this tomorrow online/on one of the replays/on DVR" and may tune in to Conan instead, knowing he'd be on only once (or they may stick with comedy central and DVR Conan). It's worth a gamble for Fox.

Jay Thomas > Jay Leno ....

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Jay Sherman > Jay Thomas