well I would assume they would still owe conan a ton of money if he left the network

1/8/2010 7:06:29 PM

Not if he quits. They're giving him the option to stay or walk. If he chooses to walk, he wouldn't get paid. But then again, I'm sure he wouldn't leave without having something else lined up at another network. Personally I'd love to see him go to Fox and kick Leno's ass. I know it's not likely, but that would be awesome.

1/8/2010 7:40:14 PM

i could see conan going a bit deeper into the internet and maybe leaving the dinosaurs to their late night spots

dunno if he'd see any money out of it tho

what i would LOVE is for nbc to add him to the thursday night must-see tv lineup at 10pm

[Edited on January 8, 2010 at 8:02 PM. Reason : +]

1/8/2010 8:00:04 PM

Quote :

"This was not an issue for the network; it was an issue for our affiliates. We were making money at 10 p.m.," Gaspin said. "I think over time it might have started to grow. For the network, it was not yet a wrong decision."

lol

1/10/2010 2:17:41 PM

Does Conan have a contract?

1/10/2010 4:43:45 PM

marko, you are a funny motherfucker

and the crazy thing is that I think you're serious

1/10/2010 9:53:23 PM

^^

of course he does...

If I've heard correctly NBC is doing everything within it

this is so fucking awful for conan... I think the best bet will be to try ABC... I guess

a 3 way show down will be kind of rough... it's hard enough to split the audience 2 ways...

...

again... I'm telling you that the magic option, the impossible option, would be to get craig ferguson for the tonight show

he would compete against his old boss... but so what...

I really think he would do fucking awesome

[Edited on January 10, 2010 at 9:58 PM. Reason : .]

1/10/2010 9:56:43 PM

Quote :

"Best place for him: a 12am Comedy Central show following JS/SC where Conan can take chances & be himself. That's a killer 2-hour block. He's gonna chase the Fox money though. It's a bad career move. To succeed pre-midnight, you have to dumb down your show. Conan can't do it."

Bill Simmons on twitter

he's right, that would be a pretty awesome two hours on CC

1/11/2010 11:18:29 AM

yeah a comedy central show would be great

1/11/2010 11:20:37 AM

so midnight is a no go for co co?

jay leno is one selfish ass please retire

1/11/2010 11:42:47 AM

fire jeff zucker

why don't they just go back to how it was originally? Leno -> Conan

1/11/2010 11:55:13 AM

Wow, Comedy Central at midnight would be a great move.

1/11/2010 12:02:11 PM

are you high?

going from network to cable would be a huge step back

it would be embarrassing

1/11/2010 12:11:26 PM

I never really found Leno or Letterman funny really.

1/11/2010 12:13:06 PM

Quote :

"are you high? going from network to cable would be a huge step back it would be embarrassing"

you don't think it's already embarrassing for him to be bumped around like he has been?

At least on Comedy Central, he could do the show on his own terms. Pride won't keep him from going to Comedy Central, it's the money.

1/11/2010 12:18:44 PM

why does it matter what order you guys watch un-funny and un-talented people perform?

1/11/2010 12:29:53 PM

Quote :

"are you high? going from network to cable would be a huge step back it would be embarrassing"

no, it wouldn't

he's getting paid either way, why not go somewhere where you can do whatever the fuck you want?

if he went to Comedy Central, that 2 hour block would kick so much ass

1/11/2010 12:42:38 PM

Quote :

"why does it matter what order you guys watch un-funny and un-talented people perform?"

Hey look everybody! An opinion!

1/11/2010 1:48:01 PM

I can't find a decent video of the O'Brien/Stewart/Colbert fight

I'd totally post it if I could

THAT COULD BE THE FUTURE

[Edited on January 11, 2010 at 2:06 PM. Reason : T]

1/11/2010 2:04:21 PM

The future, Conan?

1/11/2010 2:13:12 PM

Quote :

" If he chooses to walk, he wouldn't get paid."

Yes he would.

Quote :

"e broke the story that Jay Leno will be reclaiming his old time slot. There has been speculation that NBC exercised a loophole, which would allow the network to give Conan a portion of his time slot back (12:05-12:35) without having to pay Conan a penalty -- but sources tell us that is not the case. We're told NBC is in breach of it's agreement with Conan by moving the start time of his show. As a result, Conan now has three options. Option 1: Quit the show and spend the next four years at the beach. If Conan does this, our sources say NBC would have to pay him the value of his contract. We're told it's a five-year deal, worth as much as $20 million a year. With four years to go, Conan could conceivably get $80 million. But given his skin pigmentation and, possibly, his ego, the beach is unlikely. Option 2: Go to either FOX or ABC. This is where it gets complicated. If Conan were to strike a deal with either network to do a competing show, any salary Conan pulls in would offset the obligation owed by NBC. So, for example, if Conan made $20 million a year at NBC and ABC were to pay him $15 million a year, NBC would only owe Conan $5 mil a year for the four years remaining in his contract. Option 3: Eat crow and take the 12:05-1:05 time slot. If Conan takes this option, our sources say it's likely NBC would negotiate a new contract with the same salary Conan was getting before. Even though the salary isn't supported by the time period, it's cheaper than paying him off. NBC, we're told, prefers this option, because Conan would not be splintering Leno's rating by going to another network. So, Conan, will it be door #1, 2 or 3? Stay tuned ..."

http://www.tmz.com/2010/01/10/conan-obrien-jay-leno-nbc-foc-abc-tonight-show/#comments

1/11/2010 4:58:18 PM

I say leave and get a competing show at the exact same time as Jay's show.

1/11/2010 5:12:30 PM

This is the best option for a comedy central option.

[quote]Option 2: Go to either FOX or ABC. This is where it gets complicated. If Conan were to strike a deal with either network to do a competing show, any salary Conan pulls in would offset the obligation owed by NBC. So, for example, if Conan made $20 million a year at NBC and ABC were to pay him $15 million a year, NBC would only owe Conan $5 mil a year for the four years remaining in his contract.[\quote]

dudes making 20 mil a year for the next 4 unless someone offers him more. Why not go to comedy central and do your thing outside of network tv restrictions.

1/11/2010 5:20:06 PM

OR, just not do anything and make the same amount of $

1/11/2010 6:15:25 PM

I think he should go elsewhere, and hopefully in the same time slot against Leno, so that Leno (& NBC) will realize he's the Brett Favre of Late Night and retire already

1/11/2010 7:01:37 PM

Conan shouldn't take this. NBC is run by a bunch of fuck-ups--Jeff Zucker at the top of the list:



Conan should just head on over to FOX.

1/11/2010 7:21:52 PM

Quote :

"Option 1: Quit the show and spend the next four years at the beach. If Conan does this, our sources say NBC would have to pay him the value of his contract. We're told it's a five-year deal, worth as much as $20 million a year. With four years to go, Conan could conceivably get $80 million. But given his skin pigmentation and, possibly, his ego, the beach is unlikely. "

see no way I'm going to feel sorry for a guy that can't be funny without a team of writers making this much money

1/11/2010 9:11:20 PM

Can't be funny without a team of writers?

Have you ever seen the monorail episode of the Simpsons?

1/11/2010 9:18:23 PM

You do realize he is a fantastic comedy writer and actually writes most of his own stuff?

1/11/2010 9:58:01 PM

you know, as much as it is totally unfair to conan

in the back of my mind... I'm like, yeah, conan IS more of a late night kind of guy

letterman's quirky too though

maybe it's because conan is so young... I don't know

1/11/2010 10:10:57 PM

I know he couldn't legally get away with this, but he ought to join ABC/FOX for $1 and let NBC pay him the other 19.9999 million owed to him for the next 4 years to go head to head with Leno. NBC would effectively be paying him to make their ratings worse.

1/11/2010 10:25:53 PM

oh yeah conan is a good writer, I meant in relation to being funny as himself, I really doubt he writes his own monologues like leno and prob ferguson do

1/11/2010 10:48:22 PM

If Leno actually is writing his own monologues, he needs to hire someone better.... that or he just ruins whatever may have been funny with his awful delivery.

1/11/2010 11:07:53 PM

haha Leno doesn't write his own stuff.

1/12/2010 12:26:56 AM

Quote :

"" If he chooses to walk, he wouldn't get paid.""

Quote :

"Yes he would."

I suppose it's who you believe, but Business Insider and the NY Times seem to disagree with just about everything said in that TMZ article you posted.

Quote :

"Thus, Conan can't bolt for another network without voiding his contract and passing on the tens of millions of dollars he would otherwise be owed"

Quote :

"So that means that Conan can't storm off the set and go to FOX unless he wants to forgo the $45 million NBC otherwise owes him"

Quote :

"The NBC executive said that Mr. O’Brien was making considerably less than the $20 million a year previously reported and put the figure at “closer to $10 million a year than $20 million.”"

I'm pretty sure the lawyers at NBC are smart enough to not present Conan with a contract that would allow him to just quit his job after 6 months and still collect all the money they would otherwise pay him. That TMZ article seems pretty stupid if you stop to think about it.

1/12/2010 1:51:06 AM

Actually, I trust TMZ a lot more than the NY Times.

Their shit is usually spot on.

I think the whole argument is that NBC is violating the contract that they signed with Conan by moving his time slot.

And because of that, they would be on the hook for the full amount. Which makes sense.

Conan's ratings actually arent all that bad.

Leno's show blew ass in the time slot it got moved to, it didn't work out. Why cant they just tell Leno to get lost? It would make it so much easier.

Why do they feel like they must keep him around?

Whats going to happen if he gets moved back to 11:30 and the ratings are the same or worse?

This whole thing is an EPIC FAIL.

[Edited on January 12, 2010 at 3:02 AM. Reason : .]

1/12/2010 2:46:22 AM

Quote :

"I think the whole argument is that NBC is violating the contract that they signed with Conan by moving his time slot."

Well, you're wrong.

1/12/2010 6:04:45 AM

Quote :

"Leno's show blew ass in the time slot it got moved to, it didn't work out. Why cant they just tell Leno to get lost? It would make it so much easier. Why do they feel like they must keep him around?"

They didn't want Leno to go to FOX or ABC, so they moved him to 10. I would imagine when they moved him they gave him a new contract, probably would have to pay him big bucks if they took the show off the air, and he might go to another network.

1/12/2010 6:23:37 AM

Quote :

"NBC is run by a bunch of fuck-ups"

Quote :

"Conan should just head on over to FOX."

ehe really?

yes, lets go to FOX to avoid a company run by fuck-ups

oh wait

1/12/2010 8:22:52 AM

Quote :

"Well, you're wrong."

How do you know?

Two very credible sources are reporting two different things.

So I could be right, or I could be wrong.

And you don't know 100% that you are correct.

I could be totally wrong, but at this point, we don't know if Conan will get paid or not if he were to walk.

1/12/2010 1:37:04 PM

Conan seemed pretty pissed last night

HE GONE

1/12/2010 1:41:11 PM

Quote :

"Actually, I trust TMZ a lot more than the NY Times. "

there are not enough rolly eyes in the world to express my incredulity at the ridiculousness of your statement.

[Edited on January 12, 2010 at 1:56 PM. Reason : .]

1/12/2010 1:55:20 PM

Conan idolized Letterman who got screwed by NBC

now he can just walk in his mentor's path

1/12/2010 1:56:52 PM

^x5 FOX is being run better than NBC right now--this is a fact.

[Edited on January 12, 2010 at 1:58 PM. Reason : .]

1/12/2010 1:58:15 PM

^^^Why so? TMZ has tons of sources and is a VERY credible celebrity news site. Thats why most of the major news outlets get their news from TMZ. TMZ is not some off the wall tabloid website that is just publishing garbage. They post news and only post stories that can be proven and they have evidence of. They also have tons of sources around LA and NYC that get scoops for them.

They usually break news on celebs before any other news outlet even knows its happened.

And lets not all forget this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayson_Blair

And he the only one that got caught, and I doubt is the only one doing it.

So yeah, saying I trust TMZs info about celebrity news more than a major news outlet that doesn't specialize in celeb news isn't really that crazy of a statement.

1/12/2010 2:06:36 PM

Quote :

"Actually, I trust TMZ a lot more than the NY Times."

ditto.

1/12/2010 2:24:16 PM

Quote :

"So yeah, saying I trust TMZs info about celebrity news more than a major news outlet that doesn't specialize in celeb news isn't really that crazy of a statement."

If the issue was which starbucks Lady Gaga went to on Rodeo drive then you might have a point, but I would argue that this is as much business news as it is celebrity/entertainment news. I have a feeling your distrust of the Times probably has to do with a liberal bias you perceive it to have rather than the actual quality of reporting they do.

[Edited on January 12, 2010 at 2:30 PM. Reason : .]

1/12/2010 2:29:05 PM

Exactly. And I still trust TMZ in that area more than I do the NY Times.

The NY Times is quoting NBC and the story they are spinning.

They are quoting the heads of a company that have totally fucked up this entire situation.

Do you honestly think they are going to come out and tell it exactly like it is?

I personally trust one of TMZs sources more. They have nothing to lose and aren't exposed to looking like a idiot like NBC is doing. NBC has to do damage control, an anonymous source does not.

TMZ is more than a "OMG, Lady Gagga had Starbucks on Rodeo Drive today" type of website.

^It has nothing to do with politics. I am so far from political its not even funny. I don't vote, I dont follow elections or candidates and I don't give a rats ass who wins or what one party is even doing over the other. None of it matters to me.

TMZ specializes in this shit. Its what they do and like I said, thats why pretty much every single major news outlet gets this type of news from them. They are the gold standard for celebrity news even when it envolves $ OMG.

Look, I am not saying they are 100% right. It could turn out they are totally wrong, and it Conan stays, we might never know if TMZ was right.

But that doesn't change the fact that I, and a lot of people trust TMZ in a matter like this more than the NY Times.

You sound like my fucking parents sitting her arguing how anyone could question the accuracy of a major news paper over some "celebrity tabloid garbage" on the internet.

TMZ is not the National Enquirer or anything close to it.

[Edited on January 12, 2010 at 2:37 PM. Reason : .]

1/12/2010 2:33:19 PM

Quote :

"If the issue was which starbucks Lady Gaga went to on Rodeo drive then you might have a point, but I would argue that this is as much business news as it is celebrity/entertainment news. I have a feeling your distrust of the Times probably has to do with a liberal bias you perceive it to have rather than the actual quality of reporting they do."

no man

if you want breaking news on shitty topics that real matters to no one

than you go to a shitty news source that really matters to no one

there's a nice symmetry there

1/12/2010 2:39:16 PM

Quote :

"And I still trust TMZ in that area more than I do the NY Times."

That sounds like a personal problem

Quote :

" edit post Exactly. And I still trust TMZ in that area more than I do the NY Times. The NY Times is quoting NBC and the story they are spinning. They are quoting the heads of a company that have totally fucked up this entire situation. Do you honestly think they are going to come out and tell it exactly like it is? "

So you're saying The Times is inherently biased towards NBC, while TMZ has no interest in spinning the story one way or another? That seems extremely simple-minded to me, especially when you consider that TMZ is owned by a major competitor of NBC (Warner Brothers).

Quote :

"I personally trust one of TMZs sources more. They have nothing to lose and aren't exposed to looking like a idiot like NBC is doing. NBC has to do damage control, an anonymous source does not."

You realize TMZ pays sources for tips right?

Quote :

"They are the gold standard for celebrity news even when it envolves $ OMG."

Thats kind of like saying that someone is the tallest midget, no?

1/12/2010 2:53:03 PM