Peacock Power Play: NBC Resorts To Cutthroat Booking Tactics To Boost Jimmy Fallon's Surging Tonight Show
March 6 2014, Published 8:58 a.m. ET
Regardless of who's hosting the Tonight Show, there's bound to be a controversy, and Jimmy Fallon's got one on his hands, less than a month after inheriting comedy's most-coveted gig.
According to online reports, NBC is going all-in on building Fallon's Tonight Show, as well as their own portfolio, by informing agents and publicists that their clients can't go on any NBC network show (including TODAY) if they do any shows for the other major networks, CBS and ABC.
GMA insiders said in one report that they'd run into roadblocks trying to get guests willing to play ball with NBC's controlling tactics, justified by Fallon's big numbers after taking over the show.
This isn't the first booking controversy to hit the venerated late night franchise, as the late Helen Kushnick, Jay Leno's former manager who executive produced the Tonight Show after he took over in 1992, was accused of similar hardball tactics.
The Tonight Show airs weeknights at 11:35/10:35 c.
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