The Tonight Show Controversy
PAGE 8
Oprah: When the numbers start to drop, was your ego bruised by that? Because you're used to being number one.
Jay: No, I wouldn't say my ego was bruised. I felt bad for everybody on the show, and I felt bad for our affiliates. A couple of weeks ago, I called the head of the affiliate board—they're the ones that canceled us—and I said: "I'm sorry I let you guys down. You guys supported us. You went along with the decision. I'm sorry our show wasn't successful for you."
Oprah: Because if it had worked, it would have saved millions of dollars.
Jay: Yes, actually, the odd thing is, it was making money for the network. It wasn't making money for the affiliates.
Oprah: The other side of that, many people say that you going into primetime five nights a week took away thousands of jobs from other people who would have been working on dramas.
Jay: I've got to admit, that was not something I even realized until we went on the air, but they're not wrong. I have to admit that one did catch me. We were on the air when I realized, "Wow."
Jay: No, I wouldn't say my ego was bruised. I felt bad for everybody on the show, and I felt bad for our affiliates. A couple of weeks ago, I called the head of the affiliate board—they're the ones that canceled us—and I said: "I'm sorry I let you guys down. You guys supported us. You went along with the decision. I'm sorry our show wasn't successful for you."
Oprah: Because if it had worked, it would have saved millions of dollars.
Jay: Yes, actually, the odd thing is, it was making money for the network. It wasn't making money for the affiliates.
Oprah: The other side of that, many people say that you going into primetime five nights a week took away thousands of jobs from other people who would have been working on dramas.
Jay: I've got to admit, that was not something I even realized until we went on the air, but they're not wrong. I have to admit that one did catch me. We were on the air when I realized, "Wow."
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