The Late Shift: Letterman, Leno & the Network Battle for the Night

In mid- April, she had had adequate. She known as Agoglia with an easy message: "I wish Jay signed. " NBC knew the CBS supply used to be nonetheless potential if Helen desired to take it. because the months had passed by, the NBC executives had turn into much more confident that Jay used to be now a famous person in overdue evening. Having outfitted him into that, they could not enable him move around the road to CBS, bringing all these more youthful audience with him and leaving them with Johnny's getting older viewers. the instant for motion had arrived. The attorneys went to paintings. On may perhaps sixteen, Helen, Jay and their legal professional, Ron Berg, drove to NBC's West Coast headquarters in Burbank. They will be spent a lot of the day stepping into and out of varied places of work within the felony de- NBC Productions, conferring with legal professionals and bosses, hammering out the main points. in a single of her journeys to at least one oi the places of work, Helen bumped into Bob Wright, who stated hi within the corridor. the method appeared expartment of THE overdue SHIFT haustingly lengthy to these on Helen's Bide. Bui ultimately the papers have been In Leno signed the deal that officially arrange the mechanism handy him the "Tonight" express upon the departure oi |ohnny arson. It used to be a performed deal: Jay Leno often is the successor to Johnny arson, and Helen Kushnick will be Jay's government manufacturer. John Agoglia spotted order. Jay ( ( that the mercurial Kushnick was once thoroughly centred and sat there signing the for files. people," Agoglia "It composed because the was once the most unlikely dream coming real acknowledged. After a short around of congratulations, Helen stated her good-byes and went outdoor to the parking zone. She had left her gold Mercedes in a "Tonight" exhibit house, and as she walked to it she spotted a bit nf paper caught lower than the wiper. She opened the word and observed Wright's notepad. "This is it used to be from Bob a truly dear car," the word learn. "Call me. Bob. " precisely one week later the phrases of the agreement will be in the take care of Jay Leno used to be closed, sooner than discussions NBC's executives held approximately no matter if David Letterman may still ered for the "Tonight" express. his agreement that required They NBC all knew impression. that he nonetheless no be consid- had a clause to pay a penalty of $1 million if in he didn't get the task. yet just like the others, Wright had the influence that "this was once gotiation, and extra of it remark a negotiating wasn't a call for provided during periods of ne- or whatever he for my part aspired to. " For Wright, this looked to be a superb scenario for the community: Letterman might remain "Tonight" convey —the at 12:30 and top individual to NBC may get a brand new individual come alongside, anyone with a unique within the who might additionally carry directly to the Carson viewers. they did not a few approximation of "The Arsenio corridor convey. " They were not searching for a few absolutely hip turnaround from what Johnny have been doing. NBC felt it had demonstrated over thirty years an viewers that anticipated convinced issues, and Jay Leno seemed like the right successor to that, whereas David Letterman remained the proper performer for the 12:30 sensibility, wish to begin express.