Writers' Strike Costing Jay Leno and David Letterman $100,000 a Night

The writers' strike is no laughing matter for Jay Leno and David Letterman — especially when it comes to their wallets. It is costing the late night talk show hosts a reported $100,000 a night. Leno, 57, and Letterman, 60, have not received a paycheck from their networks — NBC and CBS, respectively — since the strike started November 5, the New York Post quotes TV industry sources as saying. In the first nine days of the strike, they have each lost a total of more than $700,000, according to the Post . (They are not paid on the weekends.) Leno, host of The Tonight Show , earns around $27 million a year, while Letterman, host of Late Show with David Letterman , rakes in a reported $31.5 million. Letterman is continuing to pay his production stuff, the Post reports, though it remains unclear how long that will continue. Meanwhile, NBC officials said they may layoff non-writing staffers by the end of the week. According to The Hollywood Reporter , producers are considering ... (link)