'Tonight Show' Time Slot Was Mentioned in Conan's Contract, Report Claims

By PopEater Staff Posted Feb 10th 2010 03:20PM

Although the dust has finally settled on the NBC late-night front, new details have emerged to suggest that Conan O'Brien's contract may have included time slot specifications after all.

THR, Esq. obtained O'Brien's amended contract from 2002, which lists 'The Tonight Show' as the "series that airs at 11:35." The show was also described as the "second network series after the end of prime time." So, technically, a time slot was specified.

This may put a fork in arguments that were raised last month, which claimed that O'Brien's contract from 2004 said nothing of the sort and NBC could thus move 'The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien' to whichever time slot it wanted. (O'Brien's contract was amended that year after it was decided that he would take over the 'Tonight Show' from Jay Leno in 2009.)

"Any lawyer worth his 5% commission knows you've got to read an amended contract in the context of all other prenegotiated elements. O'Brien's 2004 deal incorporated by reference and ratified all the terms of his prior deals -- including the 'Tonight Show' definition -- and says any conflicts between NBC's standard terms and the negotiated terms are governed by what's been negotiated," the report said.

Whether or not the argument is valid remains to be seen. Either way, O'Brien made out pretty well: Despite losing the 'Tonight Show' to Leno, the funnyman was awarded a cool $32 million settlement and will reportedly be able to return to the small screen as early as September. Leno, meanwhile, will take back the 'Tonight Show' after the Olympics now that his failed prime time variety show, 'The Jay Leno Show,' has been canceled. Its final episode aired last night.

Comments

(18)

Wednesday 10 February

By RL

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This horse is dead.......Next topic.

By BL

Horse is not dead, some people are interested in this. We enjoyed Conan, if you didn't, why read and respond to the article. Things I'm not interested in, I just skip. >eye roll

i LOVE Conan and can't wait for him to get back on tv. I just think all that happened is done with and no point to keep re hashing the story.Just my opinion. I just felt like adding my 3 cents today. eye roll

By TOBEY

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

GO AWAY CONAN! YOU WERE NEVER THAT GOOD. JAY DOMINATED LATE NIGHT, YOU LOST TO LETTERMAN CONTINUOUSLY. YOU'RE SILLINESS BELONGS ON SNL. I CAN'T BELIEVE NBC PAID YOU SO MUCH TO LEAVE. YOU SHOULD HAVE RESIGNED AND LEFT WITH WHAT YOU GAVE US...NOTHING.

By JIMMY

HOW THE HELLL DID HE GET JOB TO BEGIN WITH.

By iambrisk

To the writer of this article. Conan did not get a cool 45 million, he negotiated 15 million for the staff of his show. While 30 million seems like a lot, given taxes and his personal staff, it will not last long.

By Brad Q

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Leno has no edge. He's the safe alternative. Mediocrity rules the day.

Conan is the superior wit - without question.

Yeah, I heard what you think,....yaaaawwwnn. That is the final word on the subject.

By ted

boycott nbc

Thursday 11 February

NBC is easily the weakest of the networks.
Leno failed both at 11:30pm and 10pm.
Conan will inevitably end up in a better place,...Leno will inevitably fail AGAIN.

By Nicole

Still can't believe NBC made the decision to let Conan walk and give the Tonight show back to Jay Leno. Really NBC? Jay Leno is old news and not funny!

He got the job by being a brilliant and emmy award winning writer for the Simpons, SNL and an emmy for outstanding host for Late Night with Conan O'brien. He has millions of fans...oh ya...and he's FUNNY!

By cow1129

The fact is The Tonight Show with Conan OBrien had horrible ratings. That is why NBC made the decision to drop Conan. It is not anyone's fault. Ratings are ratings and what bring in advertisers.

By cp8967

The only problem was that Conan's show was a flop. Jay Leno led the crew in viewers and Conan slipped below Letterman. What difference does it make if a time slot was mentioned in his contract if the network wanted to fire him? I am pretty sure that issue would have been covered in his contract also.

By J

Dear PopEater,

The deal here is: there was also language in the contract that allowed NBC the right to preempt the show to later hours at will. This clause was in there because of sports preemptions, the Olympics, all those sorts of things. Though the Tonight Show was mentioned as an 11:35 program, NBC was going to make their stand on the aforementioned clause. Conan didn't want a huge fight with lawyers anyway, so rather than battling it out over that, he just started insisting that they pay off his staff handsomely before he left. So that's the story.

By Mary

Jay Leno was booooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiinnnnngggg. I stopped watching the Tonight Show after he took it over from Johnny Carson. I would tune in to Conan, just because he is kind of wacky and fun. The only thing interesting about Leno is his car collection.

By Larry S

I am personally very happy the Jay is returning to the Tonight Show. Yay!

All is right with the world. Jay is returning to the show he should have never left. Yay!

By mjr91

In late late night, Conan's wit was no match for Craig Ferguson's. Against Letterman in late night, he was no match in the ratings. In late night, Leno dominated Letterman; in prime time, he was a flop. Much as some people may be huge Coco fans, this is one of NBC's few sensible moves.

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