Apparently the sticking point in negotiations over O'Brien leaving the network is securing decent severance deals for his staff. To which NBC counter that they wouldn't be unemployed in the first place if it wasn't for O'Brien.

Which is to willfully avoid the fact that he wouldn't have quit if NBC hadn't been so wildly, extravagantly, opulently, inept. But anyway. The Daily News quotes "a source familiar with the talks" as saying Conan is "dug in" on getting decent payouts for his staffers.

NBC say this is just a stunt. "It was Conan's decision to leave NBC that resulted in nearly 200 of his staffers being out of work," said the network, doubtless peevishly. "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."