Tonight Show cuts staff; Leno trims pay

President Barack Obama chats with Jay Leno during a break while recording an interview on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" at the NBC Studios in Burbank, California, on October 25, 2011.

/ JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

(CBS/AP) SAN FRANCISCO - "The Tonight Show" has laid off about two dozen workers, prompting host Jay Leno to accept a pay cut to spare other staffers as NBC clamps down on expenses.

NBC Universal imposed the cutbacks Friday, according to a person familiar with the moves. The person asked not to be identified because NBC Universal hadn't officially disclosed the cost cutting.

The payroll purge affected about 10 percent of the roughly 200 people who work on "The Tonight Show," still the top-rated late-night program. Viewers shouldn't notice any changes in programming at "The Tonight Show," the person said.

CBS News has learned Leno has taken a pay cut to save jobs, as confirmed by Leno's publicist Bruce Bobbins on Saturday.

NBC Universal is trying to improve its financial performance under the ownership of Comcast Corp., which bought the entertainment company last year.

Leno had been making between $25 million to $30 million annually as the host of "The Tonight Show." His salary will be reduced to about $20 million after making the job-saving concessions. Leno also brings in substantial income touring as a stand-up comedian.

"Jay's foremost concern is for the wonderful people who work with him at `The Tonight Show,"' said Bobbins. "He did what was necessary to ensure their well-being."

Several other staffers on "The Tonight Show" also absorbed pay cuts.

David Letterman, the host of a rival late-night show on CBS, accepted a significant pay cut in 2009.

The show's cost-cutting measures were first reported by Deadline Hollywood, a website that tracks the entertainment industry.

Comcast bought a controlling interest in NBC Universal for $6.2 billion in cash and several cable-TV channels valued at $7.25 billion. Besides its TV network and several cable channels, NBC also owns the Universal Pictures movie studio and theme parks.

Comcast, which is based in Philadelphia, makes most of its money selling cable TV and high-speed Internet access.

Despite its solid ratings, "The Tonight Show" hasn't been a big moneymaker. That prompted the cuts Friday, which are expected to trim the program's weekly budget by about $600,000, or 25 percent, to $1.7 million. That's back to its levels of a few years ago.

Leno outmaneuvered Letterman to succeed Johnny Carson as "The Tonight Show" host in 1992 and remained in one of television's most sought-after jobs for the next 17 years. At NBC's behest, he left the show in 2009 and was replaced by Conan O'Brien. After a few months hosting his own show in an earlier time slot, Leno returned as "The Tonight Show" host in 2010 in a decision that provoked a nasty fight between O'Brien and NBC.

O'Brien now hosts a late-night talk show on TBS

During Leno's brief stint hosting his prime-time program, his show's weekly budget escalated and wasn't reduced significantly to reflect his return to the late-night slot until now.

[dudeboy1]

Leno is a doosh-bag. (sic)

[wfw3536]

Jay rich enough to pay all of the staff what a cheapskate. I can't believe anyone watches his show anymore.

[dudeboy1]

I agree. Leno sucks.

[sjc_1]

I admire Jay for the pay cut, but he still makes a bundle and that is not his fault. They pay him because he brings in ratings and ad revenue, nice work if you can get it.

People like Leno, but more of the boomers just don't stay up to watch late night any more. This is a change that has to be realized. Maybe they put it on DVR, but then you can skip the commercials, which makes the money people angry.

[alpinequeen]

I really, really miss Johnny Carson.

[venusvegasvada]

Jay Leno is going to catch hell from the GOP, Wall Street and Fox news for this blatant disrespect of the status quo in the plutocracy.

I guess we now know where Jay Leno stands. If he was a true GOP'r you would have pushed for a 25% pay raise and slashed the Tonight Show's staff pay and figured out a way to ship as many of their jobs overseas as possible, while blaming it all on the Obama Administration.

The right wingers are going to tear him apart for this obvious extreme left-wing, radical move.

[88Ronin]

Dim Commies done took over show business, huh Vinny?

[sharkboy234]

jay leno youre fired. nbc primetime line up will be 2 hours 8-10 east/west 7-9 central/mountain nbc and fox are just alike 2 hours right
tonight show with jay leno is canceled and ended. last call with carson daly and late night with jimmy fallon only 2 are left
nbc and fox 2 scoops of fruit

[Filmguy870]

How MUCH do these guys deserve?? There is one thing to be said for being entrepreneurial and creative when it comes to making an income....but $20M????? NO ONE is really worth that!

[FiatHeart]

$20 million. Sorry, but those horribly constructed, contrived monologs are not worth a dime, let alone $20 million. Leno isn't even funny. Maybe the Tonight Show brings in a lot of income for NBC, but obviously it's not enough if they're cutting staff. Leno's down to $20 million while folks making about $40k are cut. He should cut his pay down enough to save all the jobs. He doesn't need that money. It's obscene.

[MegaProcrastination]

"""Leno had been making between $25 million to $30 million annually as the host of "The Tonight Show." His salary will be reduced to about $20 million after making the job-saving concessions."""

I have to give him kudos for taking a pay cut to keep others employed, but for goodness sake, however will he survive on ONLY $20 million a year?

[jltnol2]

And this is how the income gap gets bigger. If nothing changes both Dave and Jay will be working for the same salaries that their underlings work for, but rest assured that the management of NBC/Universal took a huge pay INCREASE during the same time.