salary

This week they showed the episode where George's idea for a show about nothing gets picked up, and I started thinking. Since when is it common practice for the star of the show and one of the writers to split a salary? Was the figure offered in the assumption that both of them would be writing the show and that Jerry was not actually going to be a character? I thought Jerry's being a character was part of the deal all along. Also, why would George compare himself, a writer, who would never appear on camera, to Ted Danson, a main character, who spent much time on camera in every single episode? Some faulty logic on his part.