QUICK TAKES - Aug. 13, 2009

Late-night talk show host Jay Leno has one less thing to worry about before he launches into prime-time next month.

The Writers Guild of America, West, has cleared Leno of allegations that he ran afoul of the guild’s strike rules. The union sent an e-mail to members this week listing those found guilty of breaking ranks during a 100-day writers strike that ended in February of last year. Leno, a guild member, was not among the three writers disciplined.

The former “Tonight Show” host was accused of writing his own nightly monologues while writers were on the picket lines.

Leno’s publicist, Dick Guttman, said the decision confirmed the host’s position all along that he had broken no rules. “He felt that the rules justified it,” Guttman said. “It turns out they did.”

Leno will debut his 10 p.m. nightly variety show, “The Jay Leno Show,” on NBC on Sept. 14.