Media pundits went into an analytical frenzy after Conan O'Brien carefully castigated his treatment by NBC on "60 Minutes," saying that the network forced him off the "Tonight Show" (with a $32.5 million severance) because firing Jay Leno would have been more expensive. NBC itself did not respond to the charge — until yesterday. According to TMZ, an unnamed network source has accused the red-headed funnyman of "lying." Here's what the blogosphere is saying: (Watch Conan's "60 Minutes" interview.)
This could breach Conan's contract: This isn't over yet, says Zennie Abrahams in the San Francisco Chronicle. "While Conan O'Brien may think his interview was cathartic, an angry NBC may take another look at his contract clause about defamation and cry foul." If they take action, this saga could drag on and on.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
US proposes eroding species protectionsSpeed Read The Trump administration wants to change the definition of 'harm' in the Environmental Protection Act to allow habitat damage
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contemptSpeed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
-
Today's political cartoons - April 17, 2025Cartoons Thursday's cartoons - Harvard University, small businesses, and more
