comScore
  1. Mediaite
  2. Gossip Cop
  3. Geekosystem
  4. Styleite
  5. SportsGrid
  6. The Mary Sue
  7. The Jane Dough
  8. The Braiser

Busting bad dish!

Hot Topics Jennifer Lawrence Kim Kardashian Rihanna Robert Pattinson Beyonce Justin Bieber Kristen Stewart

Jay Leno Takes Salary Cut Amid Mass Layoff of Tonight Show Staffers

Truth rating: 10

3:37 pm, August 18th, 2012

(GettyImages.com)

NBC laid off about two dozen “Tonight Show” staffers on Friday to cut costs, and host Jay Leno took a significant reduction in pay in order to save others.

Leno is believed to make as much as $30 million annually as the face of late night TV’s top-rated broadcast, but corporate cost-cutting decisions will leave the show with a smaller budget.

Between 20 and 25 staffers were let go on Friday, according to multiple reports.

Leno, who’s hosted the show since 1992 (except for Conan O’Brien’s ill-fated 2009 interlude), has famously said that he saves every penny he earns from “The Tonight Show” and lives off the money he makes from other standup gigs.

It’s not clear how many jobs Leno’s salary cut will save as NBC’s corporate parent Comcast reportedly tightens the show’s weekly budget from $2.3 million to $1.7 million.

“Jay’s foremost concern is for the wonderful people who work for ‘The Tonight Show,’” his spokesperson Bruce Bobbins said in a statement. “He did what was necessary to ensure their well being.”

The cuts were first reported by Deadline.

Follow @GossipCop on Twitter!

Like us on Facebook!

You might like:


  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BOVGSJTBPYXEE5CBYYD2OJS6FI Jon

    This is going to hurt Jay’s denim budget.

  • javi

    thats called karma. and i think they are going to cancel the show for good this time. i want to see conan’s face right now he must have being laughing sense the news.

  • Pete

    There is no karma Jays show is still going to continue and he still is going to make millions and is worth well over $100,000,000. You are also way to invested in this if you really want to see Conan’s face. I also think that you will be disappointed in his reaction. Jay sucks but this does not really hurt him in anyway.

  • Anonymous

    Very commendable of him to take a pay cut. Sad to hear that many are loosing their jobs though.

  • Claire

    Kudos to you Jay! If every high paying person would consider doing this whether in the entertainment industry or not, the unemployment line would be cut at least somewhat. I know Jay if filthy rich already but its still nice to see. The distribution of wealth in this country is outrageous……the 1% should be forced to do this annually….some will never use the money they selfishly sit on!!

  • Hollywoody5000

    Yes, especially since Leno has a half billion $ or so in the bank. I want that kinda karma!

  • Cybergurl22

    I think he could have taken at least $2 million more of a cut – whatever the cut is – to save the other staffers jobs also.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BAQ6YMLDZCKWNT444WNQXX5ZHI realitynow

    So if the budget cut only amounts to $600,000, and Jay makes 30 million a year (which he just puts in the bank) he could very well have saved those jobs. All he cares about are his cars. The man has no kids. He’s worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But he made sure that people knew he took a paycut….because he cares. Bullshit.

    When he did his show at 10:00pm he said he did it because he wanted to save his staffers jobs. He was taking up 5 one hour time slots. Could have had 5 different one hour television shows that would have provided thousands of jobs. I’m sure his crew would have just been absorbed by the sitcoms or dramas that should have been there, instead of Jay.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BAQ6YMLDZCKWNT444WNQXX5ZHI realitynow

    Claire, he’s no hero. Read my post. Cybergurl22 is correct. I’m sure the interest that his money makes sitting in the bank could have saved all of those jobs.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BAQ6YMLDZCKWNT444WNQXX5ZHI realitynow

    I’m sure Conan’s not happy about the job losses, but I’m sure he’s disgusted with this “I’m a good guy” thing he keeps telling us. This was Jay’s way of saving face, by making sure the media was aware he took a pay cut and he cares. If that eases his guilty conscience.

    Jay made a jab about Conan’s ratings when he got the Tonight Show back, but how easy he forgets when he took over his ratings were brutal. It took years, and Hugh Grant to get a BJ in order to get people to watch. Conan had a few months, not years to improve the show. Plus his lead in was Jay’s 10:00 show every night, which was cancelled because his ratings sucked. When Jay said that low class low blow comment about Conan, he showed his true colors. Yes people, I can’t stand Jay, and he’s boring, not nice. Don’t get the two confused.

  • Guest

    I would have liked this story if the headline was Jay Leno Is Cut. He’s hateful and cruel to people.

  • Guest

    Claire: Jay Leno does not deserve your praise…

  • http://twitter.com/superbenA2002 Ben Arrowood

    You are wrong. If Jay is the man you say he is, he wouldn’t have taken a pay cut to save other employees.

  • Claire

    Oh thanks for the info. Its just so dis-heartening that these people have control of all this cash and can make decisions that directly affect people’s lives. Shame on Jay …. the idea that he’s banking all of this money and not sharing more of it is a disgrace. Does he think he can take it with him? Unbelievable, honestly.

  • Mr Sir

    He could save NBC $30 million and quit.

  • M230683

    He should have taken a bigger cut, and quicker, so that all staff members could keep their jobs.

  • Guest

    Agreed. And I commend Leno for his way of handling this. But PLEASE…..do not bring back Conan!

Abrams Media Network click here for advertising opportunities
X