Jay Leno On Trial Over Strike Monologues

Los Angeles Times:

Reporting from Los Angeles and New York -- Comedian Jay Leno was hauled in front of his own union's trial committee Wednesday to address charges that he broke guild rules during last season's writers strike, a full year after the alleged violations.

The NBC late-night host was a prominent backer of the Writers Guild of America during the 100-day work stoppage, but he alarmed union officials when he announced on the air that he was penning his own monologues while the strike was still in full swing.

Leno contends that he did nothing wrong. He has the highest profile among a handful of writers whose cases are being reviewed by the committee, which will make a recommendation to the board on whether any action should be taken. Possible penalties include a reprimand, a fine and even expulsion from the union.

Read the whole story: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[liberalsrheros]

12:43 PM on 02/27/2009

leno is a front running phoney. when it was popular to support the union he was passing out donuts, when it would have cost him in a real sense he buckled under to nbc's wishes rather than use his influence.

[antonmonza]

08:25 PM on 02/26/2009

this zofomoto , is full of lies ,!! and so are other critics of leno ,if you critize ,use facts not make believe,, ,its the tv stations +public that voted for him to get tv show.,they ,re right ! His rating have surpassed letterman + everybody else , big time . Leno was first to pay his striking writers + support them [with own money] on picket lines with pizza ,doughnuts + his presence,.Where were all the other tv hosts ,?,uh! Also buy the way , 1000, s of people still pay to see leno in standup shows.People dont pay to see letterman /conan Jay leno is a natural great comedian ,it comes from his heart and within him ..... Boy , some of you americans are so mean and jealous with your lies!. Jay leno is a class act all the way, in every way .it would be an honour to know him personally ..,and /or even to see his tv show live ... You cowardly sheepish people who speak lies of leno should leave mr. leno alone . And go after your wall street crooks who are getting illegal bailouts [into their pockets] from your hard earned taxed dollars ,who created the world wide financial depression in the 1st place!..[.the whole world is suffering from it.]... But.no ,some of you mean people have to go after honest jay leno ,'instead of the world wide colossal super crooks ........................[yeah! only in america!!! .uh.] , sincerely antonmonza

[DawnK]

01:28 PM on 02/27/2009

This rant sounds a little stalkerish.

[Charity]

01:07 AM on 02/28/2009

ewwww. i only got to the first few words and then realized, um, i didn't want to read it at all.

[TchoupitoulasCanal]

08:06 PM on 02/26/2009

Intellectual property laws traditionally preclude individuals from being sued for the use of their own mental creations, pure and simple. The writers guild should focus their attention on improving the quality of the "programming" we're subjected to on television lately instead of airing what sounds like a private grievance in a public forum.

The reality TV market is probably their more significant nemesis, anyhow. This just makes them look petty and doesn't do much to create empathy for their cause.

[innerealm]

07:05 PM on 02/26/2009

Why shouldn't Jay Leno be held to the same rules as the other WGA members? Plenty of people lost money and jobs because they went on strike. If Leno can break the rules to keep his show and salary going then why couldn't they? Just make him pay a hefty fine - something equal or better than his salary during the time he was on the air...and it's okay if it's in the millions because he wouldn't have made the money if he hadn't broken the rules. Only a fine equal or greater than the amount of his salary would send a message that it doesn't pay to break the union strike rules...especially every week night in millions of homes during the entire strike. How arrogant.

[7ShallFall]

06:09 PM on 02/26/2009

All of the shows that went back on the air before the strike ended helped in weakening the strike cause. One could argue, that someone like Tina Fey could have written an entire 30 Rock script without the
help of any writers, acting as management/ she is an executive producer. Her entire staff just
like Leno's were out of work. I do think that it is unfair to single Leno out given that Conan,
The Daily Show and The Colbert Report went on the air without their writers. What's the difference?

[hippie chucker]

05:14 PM on 02/26/2009

How dare he freely speak words on his own show. To the re-education camps with him!

[jackjava]

04:34 PM on 02/26/2009

When is he off the air anyway? He is a persnickity senior citizen. Dennis Miller and Keno are hypocrits and both live their lives like squirrels...always in a state of fear.

Miller can't even get a comedy gig anymore, no promoter or hotel is willing to hire him. I understand he is now a big hit with News Corp. He became irrelevant a decade a go. The public rejected him and where do entertainers go when they can't sell themselves anymore? Fox News. Look at all teh rejects that Fox has on the payroll. Hannity, O'Reilly, Geraldo, Cavuto, etc. All good little Buck Privates in the Murdoch Army.

[wetman]

04:15 PM on 02/26/2009

Letterman is funnier than Leno. He did settle with the writers wisely. Still, when reasonable minds can differ on the interpretation of the rules and Leno came out in support of the writers, it is really foolish to go after him just because he is so successful. Leno is huge. When somebody with that kind of stature comes out is support of the writers, he deserves respectful treatment; not an IRS-like CS interpretation of the rules.

[BOHICA]

08:07 PM on 02/26/2009

There's a significant difference between the two. Letterman owns his show through Worldwide Pants. Leno is an employee of NBC's. Leno couldn't settle with the writers because he's not a producer. Letterman could--he got a waiver and went back. Leno went back at the same time, but had a hard time getting A-level guests to cross the picket lines. He had lots of animal acts and some fairly unknown entities as guests during the strike. Leno was a huge supporter of the WGA and really doesn't deserve this Star Chamber.

And, yes, I'm a fan of his.

Can't stand Dave. The crotchety, cranky old man act got old some time ago.

[Cogs]

03:51 PM on 02/26/2009

Jay Leno couldn't make me laugh if he tickled me.

[vietveter]

03:42 PM on 02/26/2009

so what

[jayburd]

03:33 PM on 02/26/2009

If NBC wanted him back on the air so bad why didn't they just do the show without a monologue and just add a guest or two?

[robotfog]

05:29 PM on 02/26/2009

exactly. It would have been more interesting than the stupid monologue.

Maybe have a guest band play some music midway thru the show.

[Cogs]

03:18 PM on 02/26/2009

Leno knew he was in violation of the union rules but placed his interests ahead of those who helped make him a success.

[PlayTOE]

02:26 PM on 02/26/2009

Give him a reprimand because some of his jokes were not very funny.

But seriously, when a union goes on strike, the minimal work necessary to maintain the company is done by management. On his own show, Jay is management.

As for supporting the strike, he did, and very strongly.

[JamesA1102]

02:17 PM on 02/26/2009

Leno deserves what he gets. He stabbed both Johnny Carson and David Letterman in the back to get his job. Then did the same to his agent when she became a liabilty.
During the strike Leno had to be shamed into paying his staff out of his own pocket when it came out that other talk show hosts were doing the same.

[adamsmith3]

02:16 PM on 02/26/2009

I didn't know there were union th.ugs in Hollywood. I love this line:

"Possible penalties include a reprimand, a fine and even expulsion from the union."

Threatening stuff....a reprimand, or worse yet, being kicked out of their club. I hope Leno finds a way to counter-sue for this kind of petty trial only looking to grab into his pockets a bit.