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Conan And NBC Sign Departure Deal
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 21, 2010
Modified Jan 21, 2010
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 21, 2010
Modified Jan 21, 2010
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Finally, Conan O'Brien — with just two more nights behind his Tonight Show desk — has reached an agreement with NBC. According to the NY Times, negotiations went into the night and resulted in a deal that will pay him about $32 million and allow him back on the small screen in 8 months time. The deal was signed around 1 a.m. PCT, and the Wall Street Journal reports that he also secured about $12 million for his staff.
Other details are still unclear, but it's rumored to include a nondisparagment clause, for both parties involved (hopefully this means O'Brien gets to keep Triumph). His manager said, "In the end, Conan was appreciative of the steps NBC made to take care of his staff and crew, and decided to supplement the severance they were getting out of his own pocket. Now he just wants to get back on the air as quickly as possible." (Yesterday the network said the late night host vying for money for his crew was a "PR ploy.")
O'Brien will host his final farewell show Friday, joined by guests Will Ferrell, Tom Hanks, and musical guest Neil Young.
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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