Leno Wins, Public Loses?

It has been hard to miss the "news" about the ongoing scheduling conflicts between Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien. While pundits have endlessly commented on the outcome of this titanic battle, few have talked about integrity or the apparent sense of entitlement in this dust-up. Yesterday's Contra Costa Times included this thought-provoking commentary from Ruben Navarette. Read the commentary and do any additional review necessary to bring yourself up to speed on the battle between NBC, Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien. After you've had a bit of time to think about the issues involved, leave a comment on your thoughts about the integrity of the people and corporations involved. Be sure to include your real name in your comment and check to see that it's there. Your first name is all that is necessary unless you have the same first name as someone else.

49 comments:

Andrew Gabriel said...

I feel this topic is a pointless arguement. The only reason this has so much faff about this is because it deals witht the transfer of millions of dollars. I feel like Leno should never have even tried to come back. He could have done so much outside such as a car show and even another version of his tonight show. O'Brian deserves to keep his slot, and Leno should know there is a world of oppurtunity outside of NBC.

Terilyn said...

So I decide to give Billy the basketball I've been playing with at recess since the beginning of the school year. "Dude, I'm passing you the torch. Take it." So let's say Billy has to walk a mile everyday just to play with it, and he does. Then one day, I decide I want it back. "Yeah man, I want that basketball back." THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS FEUD IS. Jay Leno gave the Tonight Show to Conan O'Brian, O'Brian had to move to LA to pursue this, then Leno takes it away. Really, Jay, really?

Unknown said...

I think that it is not fair to Conan O'Brien that he was promised the tonight show, and now NBC wants to kick him off the show and replace him with Jay Leno. I guess in a way that it is better for O'Brian because he is walking away with 34 and a half million. :] He should have at least been given time to think about it, and NBC should have keep true to the contract they made with him 5 years ago.

Beilul Naizghi said...
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Beilul Naizghi said...

This entire argument seems very childish. The network, NBC, is causing a spectacle of itself by being so indecisive. First they wanted Leno, then Conan, the Leno. It is very confusing and unnecessary. I think Conan might be offered an even better deal from other networks competing with NBC, and I think he will do just fine. As for Leno, I guess he got what he wanted, just maybe not what he deserved.

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

Absolutely unfair. Conan O'Brien shouldn't have to be kicked off his own show just for Jay Leno to have the time slot he requested. On the other hand, leaving with $34 million is a definite plus. In my opinion, NBC is at fault here for not staying true to their contract. NBC is showing the world that it's not mature enough to go through with a contract.

Leah said...

Conan O'Brian is deserving of this timeslot after being promised it and working diligently for years to acheive this. He should not be replaced by Leno after such a short amount of time, after spending years waiting for this opportunity. Both Leno and O'Brian are talented and popular TV personalities. They could easily work for different networks and remain successful. What is more concerning than the argument itself, is the amount of media coverage it is receiving. There was recently a massive tradgedy in Haiti, more shocking news is constantly reported, however, people are more interested in a petty argument between a couple of TV show hosts.

ChristianArn said...

NBC bit off way more than they could chew. They originally had Leno, but they also wanted to keep O'Brien. After spending much time AND money to alter time schedules, NBC decided just to kick O'Brien out with the consent of 34 million dollars. Leno needs to realize that he is not the bus owner, he is the bus driver. Leno already had his opportunity to make it bigtime. O'Brien deserves the chance

Unknown said...

NBC is ridiculous. For one, why bother promising someone something that cannot have, or cannot keep? It's simply unjust. In the first place, NBC shouldn't have jumped the gun and offered the "Tonight" slot to O'Brien while Leno was still there. They were just asking for conflict. Leno however, is also being almost a diva for trying to do whatever he wants, if he switched to another time slot because he "wanted to try something new" and now wants to go back. On the other hand, NBC is also somewhat reasonable for trying to more Leno back, because there were low ratings on both shows as it were, but the network still shouldn't have even offered the spot to O'Brien and kicked Leno off the spot when his ratings were at their prime.

Chris Mendoza said...

I believe if someone wants to talk about fairness, then yes, this problem orginates with Leno, but even more with NBC. Leno should be an example to children that when you have opportunities, which Leno did, to do greater things (than to stick to NBC) then you should pursue them. His 10'o'clock slot was too much of a risk and problem that Leno should have known, and NBC should have Definetely known being the grand corporation they are with the T.V. and news "veterans" they have. Conan O'Brien has a contract, an honorable aggrement, to host the Tonight Show.

Samson Tong said...

Wow. NBC is really bipolar switching the person that they wanted to use, and this whole dispute ended in a multi million dollar contract. NBC has wasted Conans time when he could have had another deal at another broadcasting network.

colby said...

The fight between O'Brian and NBC is going no where. NBC keeps downplaying the situation by blaming everything that is happening on O'Brian when in fact, they should think about what the company is doing to O'Brian. They really would not have gone through so much trouble to keep O'Brian if they didn't need him and now, they talk as if he is no longer important, blaming everything on him. They are pretty much turning a blind eye to the situation and sooner or later, O'Brian will be competition down the road.

Unknown said...

This reminds me of when you give a toddler two choices of say, lollipops and the toddler chooses the blue one. But after enjoying the blue one for a few minutes, the toddler decides he/she doesn't want the blue one any more, and they really want the red one. Honestly, NBC needs to suck it. If you make a promise to O'Brien the "Tonight" show in attempts to keep him on the network in fear of losing him to a competitor, then NBC should fufill their promise. Thanks to their indecisiveness, NBC may keep Leno and his high tv ratings, but they're losing $40 million, the respect of many American viewers, and possibly O'Brien. If you pick the lollipop, keep to that lollipop, because no one wants to be the unwanted candy...

Unknown said...

I think the whole dispute between Leno and O'Brian is stupid. Leno needs to pick what network he wants to be with. O'Brian isn't really at fault because he was just taking an opening the network had. But after all the arguing and all the events that occurred, there is no point in this argument.

Unknown said...

The argument between Leno and O'Brian over what time their show will air on tv is pointless. Leno made the mistake of giving up his spot and O'Brian took advantage of that by filling in with his show. Even if Leno wants to come back and get the time spot he had before, O'Brian isn't going to give it up. But there is no real point to the whole right. Leno should just stick with his new network and gain popularity and just give his old one up to O'Brian.

Unknown said...

"No take backs!" Something we've learned since childhood. Unfortunately, Jay Leno CLEARLY does not know the saying. Leno is being an immature brat about the whole situation. O'Brian got the bitter end of the stick, he was promised something and then got it taken away by a greedy Leno. The whole situation is unfair and definitely biased.O'Brian might have been cheated out of a job, but at least he walked out with 34 million

athena said...

Jay Leno is old. He's not competitive force anymore. Conan O'Brien has a brighter future even though he doesn't have as many viewers as Leno. NBC made a big mistake, the network is now going to be marked as unfair and sentimental. It seems that the biggest reason Leno wanted to move was just because he was "unceremoniously ushered out of his coveted time slot." O'Brien did walk away with a lot of money and an opportunity to find a fair network to work with.

Sheralynn said...

The riff between Leno, Conan & NBC is common among all multimedia: someone is promised something, but the biggest dog gets the biggest toy. Promises become false and everyone does anything to stay in the game. It's only blown up because the feud is dealing with television's elite and, oh yeah, millions of dollars. That's what it all comes down to - money. NBC turned on Conan as quickly as they tried to keep him. Leno is the biggest dog in nighttime television and so he gets the biggest toy, the prime time. When it comes down to it, Leno wins over Conan because he brings in the biggest bucks. That's all media is, ladies & gentlemen. Goodnight.

Unknown said...

When one looks at the issue from a basic point of view, it is broken down into an issue about two people fighting for the same time slot. From that perspective, the issue sounds pretty insignificant. From that perspective, it is a wonder that the media is making such a big deal about it. It may be a big deal to those involved, but how does this affect the public? It doesn't. Except for maybe the hardcore Leno or O'Brian followers. I am in a position in which I do not care to take a side, but if I had to choose, I would say O'Brian better deserved the spot...until he began cracking crude jokes.

Unknown said...

Rudeness!

Jay Leno is being a big baby. Does NBC not recognize that? Probably not, just as they obviously do not recognize their contract with Coney.

Anyways, I love Navarette's commentary. I wish I could be as clever.

However, I'm still indifferent to this issue because I do not feel it concerns me in any way.

Stephanie Ny said...
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Indep_Elim_Y said...

In this case, I would have to side with Conan. Jay Leno had no right to ask for his spot back. It may be immature, but it's "back, back, no trade backs." This just shows that NBC is greedy, only supporting Leno because of how many people watch his show. NBC should have honored Conan's and Leno's first agreement, rather then just taking the spot away from Conan. All these little bickering could have been avoided if only Leno and NBC been mature about it and stuck with their choices.

Stephanie Ny said...

The motives behind NBC's decision are not atypical: money (and ratings). Remember those days when we used to argue, "back, back, no trade-backs", when we established that rule? The same applies now: Leno traded his time slot and O'Brien took it - there are no trade backs. It's pathetic. It's even more pathetic how NBC agrees with the decision when they promised O'Brien the time slot. This is only one example of corporation corruption, and I'm sure there are more to come.

- Stephanie Ny (I don't know why it only shows my first name... boo!)

Unknown said...

NBC is dealing with comedic late night shows. Because of the comedic factor, their integrity is stretched.

Even so, despite all the jokes about the drama, the drama still exists. A lot of celebrities are siding with O'Brien, and are trying to protect his integrity through all the mess. NBC will do anything to keep Jay Leno, so the cost of keeping him is THEIR integrity. Finally, Leno is losing all of his integrity because he isn't even trying to accept the fact that he was supposed to retire and he's still sticking around.

When it all comes down to it, it's a matter of not knowing when to let go.

But you can't strive for anything better with that mentality.

Unknown said...

Jay Leno is so immature for having this pointless argument for a timeslot on NBC. Leno basically received credit he does not deserve and it it extremely unfair for Conan, who already was appointed to have a tonight show. Leno took Conan's right back and it is very confusing to the consumers.

Stefan said...

The world of TV hosts is a cruel, and merciless one. Where ratings rule the airwaves, and fairness is disregarded. O'Brian was given the tonight show, but this right has apparently been revoked simply because Leno wants it back, regardless of the fact he no longer has a right to it. Sadly, his ratings are higher than O'Brian's, so he will receive what he wants.

Kimmy said...

I think the network, NBC, and Jay Leno is being completely and totally unnecessary. Their feud is unneeded and could be settled easily. Conan O'Brien deserves the rightful spot because the network spent millions of dollars to keep him working at this network. Jay Leno decides to suddenly speak out and say that he deserves that spot, when he does not. O'Brien deserves to have a fair chance.

Sabrina said...

Power. People abuse and misuse this privelege. They believe they can wield this power to do whatever they feel. Some of our own administers are exmaples like NBC and Leno are. NBC has the power to go back on a black and white contract because they believe O'Brian is all used up. Money talks. Money is power. NBC wants to pay O'Brian off with $34 million to get him out of their hair. At least he receives something, it is a lot better than just being fired.

xo, Julia said...
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xo, Julia said...

There is a much larger issue at hand in regards to the O' Brien/ Leno dispute than what is initially seen. True, it is a question of maturity (or lack thereof), and it also brings up ideas of intense selfishness. At the root of it all, however, it creates ideas of questionable integrity. There are networks not staying true to their word and TV personalities becoming too expressive and too demanding. The presence of lies and vanity make it nearly impossible to act with integrity, as is proven in this feud. O' Brien was treated unfairly, but his acting out brings him down to the level of those who mistreated him.

Wendy said...

Both NBC and Jay Leno are self-center. This argument is avoidable. NBC shouldn't limit competition by criticizing Conan O'Brien so as to destroy his chance of finding a new job in other networks. On the other hand, Jay Leno shouldn't renege his promise and take back Conan's spot. This incident shows that when human beings strive for what they have lost, the word "integrity" is removed from their dictionary.

Unknown said...

In this world full of competition, people aim to climb up to the highest point possible disregard of the method used. Public figures are even more prone to this "necessity" in order to gain popularity. It is obvious that integrity almost does not exist in situations where reputations is put in the first place. Jay Leno and the NBC abandoned their integrity. However, that is how the earth revolve and function.

BreNahNah said...

This situation is a mess. Leno is a bipolar comedian who decided to steal his slot back from O'Brian and NBC are the jerks who let Leno do it. Honestly, O'Brian was screwed-over. If I was him, I wouldn't even want to work with NBC anymore. Give me my millions and I'll gladly walk away to work for a company that would honor their words to me. Who wants to work with a backstabbing company and a power-hungry competitor anyways?! For O'Brian, the best way to get revenge for being cheated out by this comapny would be to move on and increase his ratings with another station. I hope he shows NBC what they're missing out on!

Jennifer D said...

Truthfully, this entire issue between Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and NBC is quite pointless and childish. If NBC had just stuck to their contract, rather than listening to Leno and agreeing to put him back to the tonight show, this wouldn't even be an issue. Not only that, but NBC has wasted O'Brien's time by confusing him, when he could've had a better offer with another network.

So, in the end, if Leno had just not been a big crybaby and want to move back to the Tonight Show after giving it to O'Brien, this definitely wouldn't be happening. But at least, O'Brien is walking away with $34 million.

Unknown said...

I think this issue is rather childish

Jay gives the tonight show to O'Brian.
Then Jay wants it back
O'Brian refuses
NBC was like "HEY! Jay wants it back!"
O'Brian was like "hell naw. give me 34.5mil"
NBC bends over backwards and says "ehh, alright"

Business is handled in favor of clients with high expectations with higher demands from the public/

Haley K. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Haley K. said...

This entire matter is rather fatuous and an entire waste of time. NBC should have known not to let go of Jay Leno and introduce Conan O'Brian as the Late Night Show host. It is also unfair to Conan; he does not deserve to be in the position he is in, along with the treatment he has recently received. This is all just an overblown situation, with a significant amout of money in the hands of entertainers and networks. Major corporations and entertainers such as these should avoid this disaster in the future and stop being so sophomoric.

Haley K

Unknown said...

I think this argument is a useless one. Conan O'Brien was promised that he could host the tonight show when the time came, and now when the time is here he is being kicked out. He is being given millions of dollars to close the deal. O'Brien should have been given more time to think things through. NBC should have stuck with there contract and not let Jay Leno take it away. Like really though, it is totally unfair!

Unknown said...

The first thing that comes to mind is "attention seeker." This entire dispute between Leno and O'Brian is ridiculous. They're fighting over a time slot. Leno is just being immature and irresponsible. He asked for his show to move to a differnt time slot. And just because it didn't work out for him, he thinks he can come and steal someone else's time slot. Well this is the real world, things don't work like that. He need to just suck it up and work with it. He's got lemon's, now he just needs to make lemonade.

Dchia23 said...

This argument is definitely useless and unfair. Conan O'Brien was promised that he could host the tonight show, this is a big deal to anyone in the television network and they just rip it from him. Although he did get to leave with 34 and a half million dollars, he still should've been given the opportunity to think about the situation at hand. Overall I feel Jay Leno was acting childish and scared of what his life would be outside of NBC

Stephanie Chan said...

I think NBC simply wants to attract publicity. Whether good or bad, publicity is publicity. The dispute between the two hosts is simply pointless and should be figured out days ago. In a nutshell, NBC is attracting more viewers, thanks to Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien.

Unknown said...

I feel like this entire argument is pointless and childish. Sure it deals with millions of dollars, but why else is it important? Leno left so he should not try to come back into the show. He is famous enough to make a new show and get his audience back. O' Brian has the spot and it should not be taken away from him.

Unknown said...

it wasn't right nor fair for O'Brien to be shoved away like that. Leno was extremely unfair to give O'Brien his own show, and then taking it away suddenly. NBC also shouldn't have allowed this, but they do not care for moral nor what is right or wrong. It is all just business. Just greed. But that's what most media is anyways. There's commercialism for you, might not be fair, but it's reality.

Chloe said...

Sorry it's so late! :(
---
There is no such thing as self-entitlement, and for those who believe there is, there is no such thing as integrity either. For NBC to swing between Leno and O'Brien, depending on who is more convenient/profitable to the network, and to make promises they clearly cannot keep is shameful. In the same way, for Leno to play along is selfish. Meanwhile, although it is arguable O'Brien is not being entirely mature about the situation either (given the snide jokes and comments), O'Brien is still the most professional of the three and deserves better.

Yueming Wang said...

SORRY ABOUT THE TARDINESS OF THIS COMMENT!

It is absolutely childish the way this O'Brien vs. Leno issue has developed. I understand that NBC would want to have Leno host the show instead of O'Brien because of the viewer ratings, but the way they settled this ordeal is very unfair and definitely unprofessional. And the saddest (and also the funniest) part is that O'Brien and NBC are tarnishing each others reputation, even though NBC tried to do whatever to keep O'Brien before this. I think they all should have just calmed down and worked out a solution that would be fair to both parties. Instead, they decided to heat things up and now no one looks good. This whole thing is full of irony.

Unknown said...

Oops...I kinda am very irresponsible with my work

I've been watching talk shows late at night for the past few days, and as a viewer I understand why that time slot is so coveted for any talk show host. At 10 PM, news is usually still happening, and it simply isn't the time to just unwind and listen to people make fun of the news. However, it is not fair for O'Brian to have deal with NBC's decision of making him yield to Leno's request when NBC simply wants Leno with his high ratings. On the other hand, the money that resulted in O'Brian leaving seems like fair compensation in this pointless argument.

Carla said...

The whole argument between Conan and Leno seems very immature and childish. I don't think it's fair that Conan got kicked off, when he has signed a contract, and personally, I love Conan way more than Leno, so I hope NBC's decision to kick Conan off won't backfire against them. Conan seems better off anyway, since he's walking away with a great amount of money. Conan deserved his spot in NBC, but I suppose NBC will learn the hard way.

NOTE: Agh! Sorry I couldn't post it up on time, Wojo. I thought I had time to do it afterschool, but my internet was dooown, that's why I couldn't give Stacy my article in Microsoft Word format in time, as well. Hope this still counts for something. :(

Chris Habash said...

Honestly, I don't watch either Jay Leno or Conan O'brien on late night talk shows. From what it seems, NBC has decided to move Leno to late night show at 11:35, due to his failure during prime time, while moving O'brien's "The Tonight Show" to 12:05, which isn't really a "Tonight" show anymore, according to him. Unsatisfied, Conan signed a deal, leaving NBC, which will grant him $45 million... not too shabby. Funny thing is, Conan replaced Leno's spot, and due to Leno's failure at something else, Conan will be giving up his spot to accommodate Leno, a foolish move on NBC's part. NBC's reputation has somewhat deteriorated from this foolish "give and take" scheme.

I also apologize for this terribly late comment

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