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20-25 'Tonight Show' staffers lose jobs

President Barack Obama (L) appears on the ÒTonight Show with Jay LenoÓ, for the fourth time and second time since being elected President of the United States. The president is seen talking with host Jay Leno about issues surrounding Muammar Gaddafi, the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, Hilary Clinton as his Secretary of State, the NBA lockout and even one of his favorite types of junk food. UPI/Paul Drinkwater/HO
President Barack Obama (L) appears on the ÒTonight Show with Jay LenoÓ, for the fourth time and second time since being elected President of the United States. The president is seen talking with host Jay Leno about issues surrounding Muammar Gaddafi, the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, Hilary Clinton as his Secretary of State, the NBA lockout and even one of his favorite types of junk food. UPI/Paul Drinkwater/HO | License Photo

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Between 20 and 25 staffers recently lost their jobs at "The Tonight Show" in Burbank, Calif., due to budget cuts, NBC insiders told Deadline.com.

Several producers also took pay cuts rather than lose their jobs, while host Jay Leno agreed to be paid less than his $27 million-30 million yearly salary in an effort to save some jobs, the sources told the entertainment news Web site.

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"I don't think ad sales are off. I just think the people who bought this company, Comcast, wants to go through everything at NBC and get their money back," an NBC insider told Deadline. "It's hard to go through those kinds of cuts. It's more a network issue than a late-night issue. And I would say that Jay doesn't get credit for digging out of a gigantic hole every single night. He's a very valuable guy to NBC and someday everyone will understand that. He does a great job."

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