Is the ghost of CONAN O'BRIEN haunting NBC?
--"The Tonight Show" just went through a massive "downsizing." They fired 20 employees . . . and some sources say it might have been more.
--JAY LENO agreed to a, quote, "tremendous pay cut . . . to save as many people's jobs as he could."
--His rep says, quote, "Jay's foremost concern is for the wonderful people who work for 'The Tonight Show'. He did what was necessary to ensure their well-being."
--Jay definitely isn't hurting though. Supposedly, he made around $30 million a year before the cut . . . plus another $15-to-$20 million a year from "other gigs." A "source" tells the "Los Angeles Times" that his new salary is around $20 million.
--There's no official explanation for the downsizing, but it probably has to do with ratings. The "Tonight Show" is still a top-rated late-night show, but it's been on the decline ever since he reclaimed the show from Conan in 2010.
--Also, the show isn't big with younger viewers in the coveted 18-to-49-year-old demographic. "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" have beaten "The Tonight Show" in that category.
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