• 19% freefall when “The Jay Leno Show” was on the air source

• 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.
• Gavin Polone • Conan O’Brien’s manager, regarding the deal NBC reportedly struck with the comedian last night. Details are kinda sketchy at the moment, but they likely include $32 million for Conan, $12 million for his staff, a non-disparagement clause, and an agreement to stay off the air or other shows until the fall. Pretty much everything that was expected from the press. source

• NBC execs pinned the blame for the contract dispute directly on Conan. So, let’s say you’re a late-night host treated like crap by your network. They damage your trust and you are basically forced to walk. But you want to make sure all of your employees get a severance package that doesn’t suck, because, hey, it’s the recession. Would you pose the situation like this?: “It was Conan’s decision to leave NBC that resulted in nearly 200 of his staffers being out of work.” We sure wouldn’t. In case you were wondering: NBC is run by greedy douchebags. source

• Updated: Big money for Conan. Others, not so much. Conan’s reportedly close to a $40 million deal to get out of his contract, but he wants more than the $12 million in severance being offered for his employees (reportedly $600,000 more). Before you think that severance is a ton of money, we just did some math:

How many employees does he have?:

• 200the number of employees Conan has, roughly source

The way that splits up:

• $4.5
  million the amount that would go to executive producer Jeff Ross
• $7.5
  million the amount that would go to everybody else. Jesus.

How this breaks down for Conan’s people:

• split Based on the number given by MTV today, that’s exactly $37,500 a piece per employee. Not too huge at all, guys.
• seniority Our number doesn’t account for salaries of sidekicks like Andy Richter and Max Weinberg, nor seniority.
• taxes It’s also before the 40% or whatever they take out of severance before they give it to you. It’s kind of a raw deal. source

The silver lining:

• 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.
• Gavin Polone • Conan O’Brien’s manager, regarding the deal NBC reportedly struck with the comedian last night. Conan’s not only a rich man, but apparently he’s a prince, because he’s taking care of his workers when he doesn’t have to! Good show, old red-headed chap! source

• The second they turn into superheroes is when it starts getting good. Jeff Zucker is portrayed exactly like the kind of jerk he should be, and Coco is shown with a gaggle of supporters. Awesome.

• Jay’s side of the story: Pretty honest, not douchebaggy, not trashing on NBC, not trashing on Conan, respectful. Why do we hate him again? Oh, it’s because he’s not funny.

• $30 million in golden parachute money for the redhead source

• Again, it’s certainly looking like Conan has the emotional upperhand, even as his show goes down the tubes thanks to NBC. While NBC Sports executive Dick Ebersol (who, as proven by his stay on SNL, wouldn’t know funny if it hit him in the face) savaged Conan in a New York Times article, saying “what this is really all about is an astounding failure by Conan,” Conan put his show up on Craigslist – a joke funnier than anything Jay Leno has come up with in about a decade. We hope Comcast fires Ebersol and Jeff Zucker, execution-style. source

• “It’s completely wrong, uncalled for, and I don’t quite know where it’s coming from.” This is what Entertainment Weekly’s unnamed source said about Conan’s recent outbursts on the network over the last few days. May we explain it to you idiots who run the NBC network?

• 1. You gave him seven months to run a show that had been run by his predecessor for seventeen years. And you put his predecessor in prime time, which ruined the ratings, of everything that came afterwards. Idiots.
• 2. Your ratings were completely screwed up, and you then decided to make Conan the fall guy, and expect him to take it lying down. He didn’t.
• 3. You didn’t let him bring innovative sketches like the Masturbating Bear (right, thanks to Robert Simmons for the illo) onto your show. You neutered him. Now, he wants out. What is wrong with you jerks that you have to blame Coco for your failings? Team Conan for life! source