Leno Defends Fired ‘Tonight’ Producer

Jay Leno, host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” Monday defended the fired executive producer of the series, Helen Kushnick, who was dismissed by the network Sept. 21 amid a furor over tactics in the booking wars of late-night series.

Speaking to a luncheon of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at the Universal Hilton, Leno said that ultimately he took responsibility for the show’s problems.

After being fired, Kushnick suggested that sexism might have been a factor. At one point during questioning at the luncheon, Leno was asked about possible sexism.

“Is Hollywood a boys’ club?” he replied. “Pretty much, yeah.”

Leno, whose show has become a focal point in the booking wars against such competitors as Dennis Miller, whose series has been canceled, and Arsenio Hall, said he never heard Kushnick make any threats.

When she arrived at the luncheon, which was attended by a show business crowd of about 600, Leno gave her a hug. They then sat at separate tables.

The week before Kushnick was fired, talent manager Ken Kragen had charged that she banned one of his clients, country singer Travis Tritt, from “Tonight” for refusing to cancel an appearance on the rival Hall show to appear on Leno’s program. Kragen said that another of his clients, Trisha Yearwood, was also canceled by “Tonight.”

Answering questions from reporters, Leno said Kushnick, his longtime friend and former manager, has “gotten a bad rap in certain instances.”

Pressed on the sexism issue, Leno asked how many women reporters were present. After only a few women raised their hands, he said: “So, is Hollywood a boys’ club? Pretty much, yeah.”

Asked whether he thought that was “a contributing factor” to the firing, he added:

“I don’t know. I can’t do your work for you. You’re the reporter.”

“Then why was she fired?” asked a reporter.

“I think there’s a feeling (at NBC) that a number of important people had been offended or alienated from the program,” Leno said.

But he said, “I take full responsibility. The show has my name on it.”

Leno said that he spoke to Hall and told him, “Let’s stop all this silliness. On a level playing field, we all will be fine.”

Asked whether he was bitter over the ongoing furor surrounding his show, Leno kidded: “I’m in show business, and I make a lot of money. So I don’t get bitter.”

When Leno first took the microphone at the luncheon, he said: “I kind of feel like the guy in ‘The Ox-Bow Incident’ at this point.” The classic he referred to concerned a lynching.