Posted on 09/07/2012 11:11:30 PM PDT by iowamark
Late-night talk show host Jay Leno took a 50% pay cut as part of NBC's budget-chopping effort last month at "The Tonight Show," the network said, detailing the scope of the changes for the first time as well as the reasoning behind them.
The outsized pay cut, which took Mr. Leno's salary down to around $15 million, helped NBC slash the show's $100 million annual budget by about 20%, the network said. At the same time, Mr. Leno, the leading late night host, extended his contract for another two years to May 2014...
"Tonight" is "not the cash cow it was in the Johnny Carson days," although he said it was still profitable...
Advertising, too, has dropped. "Tonight's" ad revenue fell to $159 million last year from $255 million in 2007, according to Kantar Media, while "Late Show With David Letterman," on CBS Corp.'s CBS +0.84% network, slumped to $155 million from $205 million over the same period...
Mr. Leno agreed. "We are just going to work harder and more efficiently," the host said in an email. "Our job is to be sure that none of this shows up on screen."
Meanwhile, Mr. Greenblatt hasn't spoken to the 62-year-old host about ending his 20-year-reign at "Tonight." "That's a conversation we'll have as we look down the road," he said.
When?
Mr. Greenblatt didn't know for certain, but said "I'm sure there will be a day when these guys—Letterman and Leno—wake up and say, 'It's time for us to exit gracefully.'"...
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
they need to contribute more to society by paying more taxes, they’re paid too much
” The outsized pay cut, which took Mr. Leno’s salary down to around $15 million...”
Cripes. I hope he’ll be able to make ends meet.
“”Tonight” is “not the cash cow it was in the Johnny Carson days,””
And I don’t think any late-night talk show ever will be so again. Partly because of Johnny’s enormous talent, partly because the tv landscape has change so radically since Johnny decided to call it quits.
Well, if need be he can always sell an old car or two......
Look, it's just better to represent the real demographics of America. Gay.
Actually, thinking about it, there should be a massive protest about the cut in Leno's salary. That's money out of the pockets of California state workers, teachers, etc. His paycut alone will rob schools of more than a million dollars! NBC should directly contribute that money immediately to local school unions!
The new liberal teacher rally call: Don't cut the salaries of the rich, as that's our money...
Maybe the MSM would like to think about how they will be funded when there is no audience with $$ and no advertisers
“Well, if need be he can always sell an old car or two......”
...hundred?
DVR
Pawn Stars etc will whip their tails. lol
“Maybe the MSM would like to think about how they will be funded when there is no audience with $$ and no advertisers.”
Indeed. Maybe NBC should have considered some wholesome, family programing and not pushing the gay agenda as well as general immorality. I might still have cable. On a heart warming note, my 17 year old made me watch a Youtube video of a Veggie Tales song today that she found and was a blast from the past.
To be fair, Leno treated Rush Limbaugh graciously when he was a guest but Letterman would be frothing at the mouth as he is an extremely left lunatic.
Never watch leno and letterman since 2002. Same as the Simpsons especially after they shilled for obama.
Sounds like he’s eligible for food stamps and Medicaid. How is he going to survive on such a paltry wage?/s
BTTT
I’m not interested in either program because of their politics.
Same with Oprah, CBSABCNBCMSNBC, NYT, WaPo etc. These people never seem to get it.
If Leno stuck to “funny” and stopped with the Mooch and Kenyan interviews. The majors have lost control of the people thanks to talk radio and the internet.
These people don’t care I guess. They await the day when they are all publicly owned, working for National Television and Federal Television, GOV TV and US TV.
Poor jay, only $15 mil/yr.
lol
And yes, the pay cut won't bankrupt Leno, but at least he is making some gesture of sacrifice...as opposed to Obama, who told the American people at his Inauguration that they would all have to sacrifice...while he takes lavish trips and plays golf on the taxpayers’ dime.
If their ratings continue to fall they will have to outsource the show from India or China. ;-)
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