NBC, Conan O'Brien Disagree Over Staff Severance, IP Issues

NBC and Conan O'Brien have apparently suspended their negotiations over payments to Mr. O'Brien's staff. The Tonight Show host wants more severance pay for his staff, which followed him from New York to L.A. when he took on the show. NBC takes the position that "[I]t was Conan's decision to leave NBC that resulted in nearly 200 of his staffers being out of work. We have already agreed to pay millions of dollars to compensate every one of them. This latest posturing is nothing more than a PR ploy." The two sides have reportedly not yet come to an agreement on rights to some of Mr. O'Brien's comedy bits, including the popular "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog" character. Read more here.