Conversation so far:
Who were they in dispute over the time slot with?
The Jay Leno Show would be shortened to 30 minutes and begin airing weeknights at 11:35 pm ET, with Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon's shows following.
what year did this happen?
In early January 2010.
Did Leno mind the time slot change?
Leno immediately accepted the return to 11:35 p.m., calling the move "all business.
Did O'brien say anything?
drafted a press release explaining why he felt it was unfair to him, his staff, Fallon, and the legacy of The Tonight Show to move the show past midnight.
What about Fallon?
CANNOTANSWER.
Did anything else of note happen in this time period?
O'Brien received an outpouring of celebrity and viewer support for rejecting the move, while Leno received heavy criticism.

Question: How did Leno react to the criticism?
Self-contained rewrite: How did Jay Leno react to the criticism?