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FOX40 To Extend Job Offer To Conan O'Brien Wednesday

by Matthew Keys, published on January 19, 2010 at 6:51PM

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Late night talk show host Conan O'Brien's career dilemma following his role as "Tonight Show" presenter at NBC may soon be solved -- with a job opportunity at KTXL FOX40.

On the Wednesday edition of the morning news program "FOX40 Live," hosts Natalie Bomke, Joe Orlando, Rosemary Orozco and Paul Robins will extend a formal job offer to the former host of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and current host of NBC's "The Tonight Show."

"We're totally serious," said FOX40 news director Brandon Mercer. "We're hiring producers anyway, and he's one of the most creative guys in the business."

"We are always looking for the best available talent," FOX40 general manager Bob Ramsey said. "There has been some reporting that he may (soon) be available."

O'Brien took over presenting duties seven months ago from Jay Leno as host of "The Tonight Show" on the NBC network. Leno later went on to host a 10pm prime-time talk program for the network. The program failed to make a wave, and as of two weeks ago, NBC suggested a half-hour program for Leno at 11:35pm, bumping O'Brien's "Tonight Show" to a midnight time slot.

That idea didn't sit well with O'Brien, who reportedly has decided to end his role as "Tonight Show" presenter in exchange for a $40 million buyout of his contract with NBC. It's been reported Leno will resume his hosting duties at "The Tonight Show," which leaves O'Brien looking for work.

"The guy needs health insurance and a little pocket money," Mercer said. "So why not take us up just for a few months, till the next gig comes along?"

FOX40 Live executive producer Leigh Anne Keys says one incentive for O'Brien accepting a job with FOX40 would be his excellent treatment as an employee with KTXL FOX40, owned by Tribune Company.

"I'm a great boss," Keys said. "I'll treat you much better than your bosses at NBC did. I just have one rule -- always remember to say 'please' and 'thank you,' and we'll get along great."

O'Brien's job offer as a morning show producer comes with his own office across the hall from FOX40 veteran sports director Jim Crandell. Currently, the "office" acts as a storage closet for the station underneath some stairs.

Sacramento is only a nine hour drive from O'Brien's current home in Los Angeles, making the capitol city an easy move for the former New York resident recently located to California. Mercer says, while the station is willing to pay for moving expenses, if O'Brien accepts the position with FOX40, he would be welcome to fulfill his job duties by telecommuting in lieu of moving away from Southern California.

The employment opportunity at FOX40 isn't the only job offer O'Brien has received since his late night drama with NBC began. The late night presenter also has offers from the FX program "Sons of Anarchy" to guest star as an Irish terrorist, as well as an offer from porn studio Pink Visual to appear in an adult video.

If O'Brien accepted FOX40's job offer, he would be the second person associated with a late night talk program hired by the station. In the 1980s, FOX40 Live host Paul Robins and Conan O'Brien were hired as writers of the short-lived FOX late-night talk program "The Wilton North Report" during the network's infancy. The show lasted one month.

FOX40 Live can be seen weekdays on FOX40 from 4:30am to 9am. The show also streams live without commercials on FOX40.com.

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January 19, 2010 | 07:48 PM
If Fox 40 needs someone, who every time he manages to get a giggle out of the audience, spends the next 5 minutes congratulating himself...go for it.
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January 19, 2010 | 11:35 PM
So on point...Conan is lame, and is only funny about one out of every twenty jokes.
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January 19, 2010 | 08:38 PM
This post belongs on The Onion
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edited on  January 19, 2010 | 08:54 PM
Rhys--I'm with you. Have you also noticed how he incessantly talks over all his guests? It's painful to watch. He just can't WAIT to talk and you can tell everyone speaks as quickly as possible so he won't cut them off.

Personally in this economy I find Fox's offer insulting
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January 19, 2010 | 10:30 PM
Joe: You made your position quite clear on the 21Q blog.
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January 19, 2010 | 09:37 PM
Whatever it takes to keep Conan on the air. Way to go Fox40! Now, add more Seinfeld.
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January 19, 2010 | 11:09 PM
a 9 hour drive from LA?
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January 20, 2010 | 07:37 AM
Nobody watches the late-night shows anyway by TV standards. Conan was getting about 3 million viewers which is less than Glenn Beck but triple the viewership of Keith Olbermann and both are on cable news channels!!!! Why these late-night network hosts get constant media attention is beyond comprehension. Channel 40 has crappy news and this a way of getting some attention before the February sweeps.
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