NBC

Former TV exec Fred Silverman was quoted this weekend saying the "Tonight Show" shakeup was "a corporate embarrassment" and that moving Leno back to 11:35 PM was a "Mickey Mouse scheme."

But TMZ has obtained an email sent by Silverman in 2008 to two top NBC execs in which Fred seemingly concocts the entire plan of moving Jay to 10:00 PM. He pitches the idea as, "Here's a way to solve your Jay Leno problem, improve your primetime ratings, save untold development costs and make a gazillion dollars at the same time." Did any of those things actually happen?

For all you TV newbies -- Fred Silverman is the only person to have ever been in charge of programming at three different networks. He was a legend at CBS and ABC ... but, ironically enough, failed miserably at NBC with such memorable disasters as "Supertrain" and "Hello, Larry."

It's one thing to play Monday Morning Quarterback, but it's a whole other thing when you called the plays.

Conan O'Brien can get a whole lot of money from NBC as a parting gift, but there will be strings attached -- not the least of which ... Conan cannot trash the network.

Sources tell us NBC wants a liquidated damages clause if Conan says anything disparaging about the network once he leaves. Essentially that means there is a clause in the contract that says Conan will automatically pay a predetermined amount of money if he says bad things about NBC.

And, as we have previously reported, NBC will demand that Conan not take another hosting job for a certain period of time.

Sources say NBC will be paying Conan a hefty sum, but that will be offset by any amount Conan makes for his next hosting gig. So if Conan makes a deal with FOX, NBC can reduce the amount it pays Conan by the amount FOX forks over.

FYI -- we've learned Conan's existing contract already has an offset clause in the event he leaves NBC and takes another job.

Bottom line -- Conan won't be taking NBC to the cleaners.

If you feel the need to treat your staff to a lunch-run worthy of the President of the United States, you're gonna need a cool $72.40 -- 'cause that's exactly how much Barack Obama spent during that NBC televised jaunt to Five Guys burger joint.

TMZ locked down the entire order -- down to the toppings -- an order that Obama paid for with cold, hard American cash.

- Cheeseburger with mustard, tomatoes, lettuce, jalapeno (for OBAMA)
- Little cheeseburger with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, ketchup
- Bacon cheeseburger with mustard, relish, onion
- Little hamburger with lettuce and tomato
- Grilled cheese with everything
- Cheeseburger with mushroom, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard
- 2 reg cheeseburgers with lettuce, tomato, mustard, ketchup, pickles
- Cheeseburger with ketchup (for Brian Williams)
- 10 orders of fries

Teen pin-up and former Lindsay Lohan plaything Aaron Carter is hot property in the reality TV world, but don't expect to see him on the boob tube any time soon.

The littler Carter was offered a spot on the upcoming season of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," and on MTV's "Celebrity Rap Superstar," but had to opt out of both.