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David Letterman Letterman To Honor Carson Tonight
31 January 2005 (StudioBriefing)
A week after Jay Leno paid tribute to Johnny Carson on the Tonight show and attracted one of his biggest audiences ever, David Letterman returns from vacation tonight to offer his own tribute to the man who preceded him when he hosted Late Night on NBC from 1982 to 1992. Among Letterman's guests tonight will be former Tonight Show bandleader Doc Severinsen, who will lead the orchestra in a special composition he has written for Carson, and former Tonight show executive producer, Peter Lassally.
So Long, Johnny
24 January 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Dozens of expressions of sorrow were issued by political and entertainment celebrities Sunday following the death of Johnny Carson at age 79. "His wit and insight made Americans laugh and think and had a profound influence on American life and entertainment," said President George W. Bush. "All of us who came after are pretenders. We will not see the likes of him again," said David Letterman. "No single individual has had as great an impact on television as Johnny. He was the gold standard," commented Carson's Tonight Show successor, Jay Leno.
Johnny Carson Dies at 79
23 January 2005 (IMDb News Flash)
Johnny Carson, who became a cultural icon by staying up late with America for thirty years as host of The Tonight Show, died early Sunday morning; he was 79. Carson's nephew, Jeff Sotzing, issued a brief statement to the Associated Press, saying that Carson was surrounded by family at his passing and that there would be no memorial service. No further details, including location or cause of death, were given. Born in Iowa and raised in Nebraska, Carson began his career in radio before moving on to television, where he worked for game shows and wrote for comedian Red Skelton's comedy show. It was during his tenure for Skelton that Carson got his big break, going on for the comedian one night when Skelton was injured backstage. His snappy patter, boyish good looks, and spot-on timing got him various jobs hosting game shows and variety shows, as well as a gig subbing for Jack Paar on The Tonight Show in 1958. When Paar left the show in 1962, NBC named Carson his successor, and he reigned over the late-night airwaves for thirty extremely successful years, winning six Emmys, a Peabody award, and ultimately the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992.
Paired with sidekick Ed McMahon, who opened The Tonight Show with the legendary "Heeeeere's Johnny!" salutation, Carson achieved a kind of showbiz royalty that put him at the top of Hollywood heap; dubbed the "king of late night," he was a mammoth figure on the cultural landscape, hosting innumerable guests from all walks of life and charming audiences with his opening monologues and comedy skits, including a long-running gag as "Carnac the Magnificent." Numerous attempts were made to topple him from his throne, but none could come close, and his rampant success often made salary negotiations with NBC most difficult for the network, and in the early 80s he became the highest-paid television performer in history. Reducing his schedule, Carson brought in a number of up-and-coming comedians to ease the workload, among them David Brenner, Joan Rivers, and Jay Leno, who would ultimately succeed him in a controversy that also included the seeming heir apparent, David Letterman. Carson also performed in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and hosted the Academy Awards five times. Carson was married four times, including a marriage to Joanna Holland in the 80s that prompted a notorious divorce case and innumerable alimony jokes on his show. After retiring in 1992?a television event that had a host of celebrities bidding him a fond and sad farewell?Carson traveled extensively and lived a wealthy and quiet life of retirement, eschewing a number of offers to appear again on television. Carson is survived by his fourth wife, Alexis, and two sons from his first marriage; a third son, Ricky, died in a car accident in 1991. --Prepared by IMDb staff
Johnny Carson Writing for David Letterman
19 January 2005 (StudioBriefing)
Peter Lassally, a onetime producer of both Johnny Carson's and David Letterman's late-night shows, disclosed Tuesday that Carson occasionally contributes material for Letterman's monologues. Speaking to TV critics attending their annual winter tour in Los Angeles, Lassally, who now acts as a consultant to Letterman's Worldwide Pants production company, said that what Carson misses the most since retiring 12 years ago is doing his monologue. "He reads the newspaper every day and might think up five good jokes that he wishes he had an outlet for. Once in a while he sends jokes to Letterman, and Letterman will use his jokes in the monologue and he gets a big kick out of that."
Letterman Spends Christmas in Iraq
28 December 2004 (WENN)
American chat show host David Letterman spent Christmas in Iraq on a top-secret mission to entertain US troops stationed there. The Late Show presenter thrilled thousands of Marines on Friday night by staging a live version of his popular late night program at Camp Taqaddum. Letterman opened the show by joking, "Anybody here from out of town?" Late Show regulars Paul Shaffer and Biff Henderson and funnyman Tom Dreesen joined Letterman for the trip. The TV star concluded his show by telling his audience, "Paul (Shaffer) and I were in Afghanistan three years ago, and last year we were in Baghdad. We wouldn't want it any other way. We're sorry we keep having to come back."
Clooney Begs Off TV Appearances with Aggravated Disc
30 November 2004 (WENN)
George Clooney has been forced to cancel a string of press appearances to promote the Ocean's Eleven sequel Ocean's Twelve after aggravating a ruptured disc in his back. The movie star has scrapped appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman and Oprah Winfrey's daytime show while he recovers. Insiders claim he's in too much pain to travel. The new sequel, opening next week in the US, is directed by original Ocean's Eleven helmer Steven Soderbergh and also stars Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Julia Roberts.
Letterman Consumes Lopez's Perfume
18 October 2004 (WENN)
Jennifer Lopez was left stunned during an appearance on David Letterman's talk show on Thursday night - when the comedian sprayed her perfume into his mouth. Lopez appeared on his show to promote new movie Shall We Dance? when Letterman pulled out her fragrances Glow and Still from behind his desk. After making enquiries about them, the host opened a bottle of Still and squirted the fragrant contents into his mouth, as a stunned Lopez screamed, "Dave, what are you doing?" Letterman gulped it down and commented, "That's pretty good. That's nice; I like that. I think this is a great idea because I've always commented on how nice you smell when you come out (on the show) and now the whole world can smell this way." Earlier this year, Letterman consumed some of Jessica Simpson's beauty products from her Dessert line.
'Daily Show' Viewers Among Best Informed Voters
28 September 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Concerns that people who receive their political information from late-night comedy shows may not be adequately familiar with the issues in order to vote knowledgeably appeared to be laid to rest Monday by a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania's National Annenberg Election Survey. In a poll conducted between July 15 and Sept. 19, nearly 20,000 young adults were asked six questions about the presidential candidates' stands on various issues. Those who watched no late-night comedy shows answered 2.62 questions correctly. David Letterman's viewers answered 2.91; Jay Leno,'s 2.95; and Jon Stewart's (The Daily Show) 3.59. The results for Stewart appeared particularly striking to the pollsters, who noted that his viewers "have higher campaign knowledge than national news viewers and newspaper readers."
Moore Invites McCain To See Movie
3 September 2004 (WENN)
Director Michael Moore has offered to take US Senator John McCain to see Fahrenheit 9/11, after the politician slammed his controversial film. At the Republican National Convention on Monday, guest speaker McCain prompted boos against Moore after denouncing the documentary, which attacked American President George W. Bush's handling of the September 11 terrorist attacks. McCain called Moore - who was covering the event at New York's Madison Square Garden for newspaper USA Today - "a disingenuous film-maker who would have us believe that Saddam (Hussein)'s Iraq was an oasis of peace". And Moore made an appearance on comedian David Letterman's chat show Wednesday night, where he encountered more boos - coupled with cheers - and offered to take McCain to the cinema. Moore told Letterman, "He hasn't seen it yet. I'll take him to the movies while he's here in New York. It's just playing down the street and if he doesn't like it, afterwards I'll let him pummel me like you suggested!" McCain, a booked guest on the show, later shot back, "I admire his skills as a movie maker and certainly admire his success at making money. Seems like he could afford a shave and a haircut!"
Later for 'Late, Late Show'
13 August 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Craig Kilborn surprised CBS execs Thursday by informing them that he had decided not to renew his contract to host the Late Late Show, produced by David Letterman's Worldwide Pants. "It was easily the greatest job I've had, and CBS was very generous in their offer to re-sign me," Kilborn told Daily Variety. "But I simply want to try something new. I can now focus on writing and producing different television projects I haven't had time for." Letterman's company, which has the right to produce the program, said it will immediately begin a search for a replacement. Kilborn, who before joining CBS was the host from 1996-1999 of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, had boosted the network's ratings during his time period, but nevertheless consistently came in second to NBC's Conan O'Brien.
Clinton Delivers Voters -- Er, Viewers -- To Dave
5 August 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Former President Bill Clinton was able to deliver to David Letterman Tuesday something that he was unable to deliver to John Kerry -- a big boost in popularity. While polls showed that Kerry did not receive a significant lift in the popular polls following last week's Democratic convention -- where, it was said, Clinton's endorsement address overshadowed Kerry's -- Clinton's appearance on CBS's Late Show gave Letterman a rare win over rival Jay Leno's Tonight Show. According to Nielsen overnights, Letterman scored a 5.2 rating and a 12 share versus Leno's 4.8/11. It marked Letterman's first win over Leno since March 29, when his guest was Janet Jackson.
Kidman Banned From Talking About Daughter
16 July 2004 (WENN)
Nicole Kidman's daughter Isabella has banned the actress from mentioning her in interviews. The Stepford Wives star says the eleven-year-old - her adopted daughter with ex-husband Tom Cruise - has started paying attention to press coverage of the Oscar-winner, and is desperate to maintain a low-profile herself. Kidman says, "I'm not allowed to talk about my daughter. She's started to read everything I say, so I have now been ordered not to say anything at all about her. I was on the David Letterman show recently and apparently I said something about her and she was like, 'Mom don't ever do that again.'"
Love Pleads Not Guilty to Assault Charges
14 May 2004 (WENN)
Troubled rocker Courtney Love has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and reckless endangerment, after reportedly hitting a fan in the head with a microphone stand in March. Love - who's also facing felony drug charges and disorderly conduct in a separate case - arrived two hours late at the New York Supreme Court yesterday to fight claims she struck fan Gregory Burgett at a Manhattan club on March 18. The alleged incident occurred just hours after her wacky performance on David Letterman's chat show, in which she repeatedly exposed her breasts to the stunned host. Love - the widow of Nirvana icon Kurt Cobain - was arrested after Burgett had three staples inserted into his injured head and decided to press charges. The case has been adjourned until June 28.
Jackson Bleeped for "Jesus" Comment
5 April 2004 (WENN)
Singer Janet Jackson had TV censors in a spin when she replied "Jesus" to host David Letterman's grueling investigation into her controversially Super Bowl breast-baring incident. The frustrated star's blasphemous remark - which was edited out of Monday night's broadcast of The Late Show - was made in exasperation to Letterman's inquiry into the so-called "wardrobe malfunction" which Jackson and her duet partner Justin Timberlake initially blamed on causing the flesh flash. And despite her unwillingness to talk about the incident which sparked national outrage after it was beamed live across America last month, the sexy singer maintains the breast exposure "was totally an accident". She continued, "You're going to make me relive this? I want to put all that behind me. I truly do," before turning to the audience and adding, "(I'm) sure you're sick of hearing about this." But brave Letterman disagreed, replying, "I'm not so sure they are sick of hearing about it." Letterman then told Jackson it appeared the stunt looked intentional, at which point a visibly angry Jackson replied "Oh, Jesus".
Letterman To Feature Kid Who Yawned Through Bush's Speech
2 April 2004 (StudioBriefing)
The White House is engaging in a bit of damage control following Monday night's David Letterman program, which featured a segment called "George W. Bush Invigorates America's Youth," showing a yawning and fidgeting 12-year-old boy seated behind the president as he delivered a speech in Florida. The Washington Post reported today (Friday) that the boy, subsequently identified as Tyler Crotty, the son of an Orange County, FL Republican fund-raiser, has been booked to appear on Letterman's show tonight, apparently at the urging of the White House. "He's a young person who strongly supports the president and is excited about getting a chance to talk about it," White House assistant press secretary Reed Dickens told the Post. The newspaper said that the boy's father was blaming himself for his son's conduct because he had kept him up late the night before, then got him up early that day and brought him to the convention center, where he had to wait some three hours before the president appeared. Meanwhile, CNN anchor Daryn Kagan apologized to Letterman Thursday for reporting that the White House was calling the tape a fake. "It turns out, due to what we might say a misunderstanding among the folks who are usually so fantastic behind me here in the newsroom, it turns out that was not true," Kagan said. Letterman comment on the air Thursday that the apology was the first he had ever received in his 25 years of network broadcasting.
Leno Gets a Big Pay Raise
30 March 2004 (StudioBriefing)
Jay Leno has reportedly reupped with NBC for another five years at $27 million a year -- a steep boost from his current annual salary, believed to be about $17 million. If the figure is confirmed, it would narrow the salary gap between him and his CBS rival David Letterman, who earns about $31 million a year. Leno regularly trounces Letterman in the ratings. In an interview with today's (Tuesday) New York Times, Leno declined to confirm the amount of his raise but added: "I don't need the money. If you can't live on what I make there's something wrong with you."
Bald Carrey Screens Movie on His Head
17 March 2004 (WENN)
Jim Carrey made TV history Monday night when the trailer for his new movie Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind was beamed onto his bald head. The funnyman was on The Late Show promoting the film and decided to make the teaser a memorable one by inviting a Late Show hair stylist to shave a rectangular 'screen' on the top of his head. He joked, "The whole movie takes place in my head, so I figured... The weird thing is that my head is the perfect aspect ratio for this film." Carrey tried to make TV history earlier in the show when he attempted to perform a silent interview with host David Letterman. The couple sat in silence for a minute until a staged mobile phone went off - leading Carrey to jump up and smash it.
Letterman Show Canceled As Performer Is Injured
6 February 2004 (StudioBriefing)
David Letterman called off the taping of his Thursday-night telecast when an Olympic gold-medal snowboarder fell from a two-story ramp during the production. Before the accident Letterman had told the snowboarder, Tara Dakides, to "be careful" and had remarked, "I'm surprised you're doing this without a helmet." Witnesses said that she suffered a large cut on the back of her head but was not otherwise seriously injured. Letterman reportedly visited Dakides later at Bellevue hospital.
Letterman Invites Winfrey on Show
12 December 2003 (WENN)
After learning of Oprah Winfrey's refusal to appear on his chat show ever again, David Letterman has invited the billionaire to his "Super Bowl of love". Letterman's latest effort to end the feud between the talk show titans was an invitation, issued on air on Wednesday night, to come on his Late Show for an "hour of healing". Winfrey has appeared on his show twice and has opted against ever making a return, explaining, "Both times I was sort of like the butt of his jokes. I felt completely uncomfortable sitting in that chair, and I vowed I would not ever put myself in that position again." She did, however, send Letterman a tub of children's books recently to celebrate the recent birth of his first baby. Letterman has declared a wish to work with Dr. Phil McGraw, Winfrey's protege, to bring her back to his show. He says, "It will be a celebration. It will be like the first of the year and it will be enormous. It would be like the Super Bowl."
Hilton Pulls Out of Talk Show Appearance
21 November 2003 (WENN)
Paris Hilton has scrapped a scheduled appearance on America's The Late Show With David Letterman - because she doesn't want to talk about the scandalous sex video in which she appears. The hotel heiress was set to appear on David Letterman's nightly show next week but her new publicist Dan Klores has reportedly advised her not to go ahead with the chat. Klores' aides claim Hilton will not be doing any press for her upcoming reality TV show The Simple Life.
Now, The Jessica Lynch Reality Shows
11 November 2003 (StudioBriefing)
A made-for-TV movie about the rescue of Elizabeth Smart beat out a made-for-TV movie about the rescue of Jessica Lynch in the ratings Sunday night. But the difference was slight -- 15.7 million viewers for the Smart film, 14.9 million for the Lynch film. Meanwhile, controversy over the Lynch drama continues to intensify as the former PFC makes a series of television appearances in which she is challenging both government and media claims about her capture and release. Lynch is scheduled to appear on a special Veterans Day edition of ABC's Primetime with Diane Sawyer tonight (Tuesday), timed to coincide with the publication of a book about her experience, I Am a Soldier, Too, which claims that she had been anally raped and tortured before her rescue. But Iraqi doctors who treated her insisted today that she received the best possible care and said that they were shocked and hurt by the accusations. The book was written with former New York Times reporter Rick Bragg, whose own journalistic veracity came under suspicion when the Times suspended him in May for allegedly claiming the work of a stringer as his own. He subsequently resigned. Lynch is also scheduled to appear on the Today Show tomorrow, on the David Letterman show on Friday, and on Larry King Live on Monday.
Letterman's Lover Gives Birth
5 November 2003 (WENN)
American talk show king David Letterman anxiously awaited the birth of his first baby on Monday after his lover Regina Lasko went into labor and gave birth to a son, Harry Joseph Letterman, just before midnight. The Late Show lynchpin was absent from the Monday night episode of his program and had to be replaced by regular star Paul Shaffer - the leader of the show's band. Shaffer told the audience, "If you're feeling that there's something wrong with this picture - you're seeing me - because Dave is at the hospital waiting for his baby to be delivered!" Taping his show on Tuesday, Letterman joked of the 9-pound, 11 ounce baby, "First thing I took him home and dangled him over the balcony."
Letterman Married?
30 September 2003 (WENN)
American talk show host David Letterman has secretly wed his long-term girlfriend, according to sources. The veteran comic, 56, reportedly married Regino Lasko - who is six months pregnant with his child - at his Montana ranch "a few weekends ago". An insider tells American website MSNBC, "We're pretty impressed that he's managed to keep it a secret." Employees on the set where his hit chat program The Late Show With David Letterman is filmed are also convinced the star has exchanged marital vows with his lover. The source adds, "We're all trying to find out. We think so, but to tell you the truth, no one can get a straight answer." A spokesman for Letterman would say only, "My comment is we never comment on Dave's private life."
Sawyer Lands Jessica Lynch For Interview
16 September 2003 (StudioBriefing)
ABC has landed the first interview with former POW Jessica Lynch, scheduling it on Nov. 11. Lynch will be interviewed by Diane Sawyer. The Associated Press reported Monday that Lynch's publisher, Knopf, had chosen Sawyer over network rivals because of her demonstrated ability to draw big audiences for interviews tied to book projects. Several publications reported Monday that Sawyer, in attempting to woo Lynch, had sent her a locket with a photograph of the Lynch family home in Palestine, WV. (It was not clear whether ABC's Barbara Walters was also vying for the interview.) Knopf said that Lynch will be interviewed the following morning, Nov. 12, on the Today show; by David Letterman on Friday, Nov. 14; and by Larry King on Monday, Nov. 17.
Stone Makes Up with Letterman
15 September 2003 (WENN)
Sharon Stone and David Letterman kissed and made up on Wednesday night's The Late Show in America, because the actress could no longer remember why she disliked him. The Basic Instinct star had turned down appearances on the talk show for nine years after Letterman upset her on a previous show - but she eventually agreed to return because she could no longer recall why she originally thought he was "a stinker". Letterman apologized on Wednesday for upsetting her, at which point she said, "Wanna kiss and make up?" The couple kissed four times, prompting Letterman to quip, "That was worth nine years." Stone later complimented the TV host on his comeback after heart surgery in 2000, admitting his determination spurred her on to fight back after suffering a brain hemorrhage a year later. She realized that both of them were better people for their near-death experiences. She explained, "I watched your comeback show and I've been seeing you ever since. It seems we're a little nicer now."
Cage Erupts During Snake Dance Story
8 September 2003 (WENN)
Movie star Nicolas Cage left American chat show king David Letterman speechless on Thursday night with a tirade of foul language as he chatted about his new pets - a pair of king cobra snakes. Cage, appearing on the late-night talk show to promote new movie Matchstick Men, began by calmly describing how he likes to sit in a specially-constructed cell he has at home, drinking wine and watching his snakes Moby and Sheba. But the eccentric actor went too far when he tried to describe the look his caged albino, Moby, gives him from time to time. Cage explained, "Sometimes Moby will do this little charming snake dance and show his back to me and he's got this little round, circular pattern on his back and he's doing this dance. Every now and then he'll turn around and go, 'F**k you, motherf**ker. I wanna f**king kill you.' So after that I say good night kids, I have to go upstairs and lie down and think about what just happened. It's kinda like driving 190 miles per hour in a sportscar with a scotch - the adrenalin levels goes up." A shocked Letterman regained his composure and later asked Cage, "What does your snake say again?" Cage revealed he keeps the antidote to a venomous snake bite by the side of his pets' cage - because he has only 15 minutes to live if he's bitten.
Moore & Kutcher Fire Back at Nosy Letterman
26 June 2003 (WENN)
Demi Moore and 25-year-old toyboy Ashton Kutcher turned the tables on David Letterman in America on Monday night when he started asking too many questions about their romance. The 40-year-old actress squirmed awkwardly in her seat on The Late Show as Letterman poked around for personal details about Hollywood's hot new couple. Letterman joked, "He's like 18 or something. He's the luckiest man alive." But Demi fired back - with a little help from a text message from her boyfriend - which Kutcher sent her while she was on the show. She said, "He has a message for you too - 'Tell him I wanted to say, Dude, where's your girlfriend?' I mean, how do you keep it all so secret. You have the same girlfriend. How do you do it?" Suddenly it was reclusive Letterman's turn to feel uncomfortable in being asked about his romance with Regina Lasko. He mumbled, "Nobody cares. Why would Ashton Kutcher care? I feel like I've been Punk'd."
Jay Seeks To Call Truce with Dave
13 June 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Jay Leno says he would like to appear on David Letterman's show again. In an interview airing tonight (Friday) on Bob Costas's On the Record on HBO, Leno indicates that he regrets the rivalry that exists between himself and Letterman and recalls the days when he was invited to appear on Letterman's NBC show. "I owe my career to Dave," Leno remarks. "Two guys go for a job, one guy gets it, and I'm sorry it worked out, well, I'm not sorry it worked out that way, it's just the way it worked out. Hey, it's been 11 years and everybody is rich. Everybody is successful." He says that he always enjoyed appearing on Letterman's show. "I do miss it," he remarks. "I would love to do it again."
Letterman To Take Fridays Off?
9 June 2003 (StudioBriefing)
David Letterman, who rarely allows a guest host to substitute for him unless he is under the weather, decided last week not to tape his Friday show and bring in Tom Arnold instead. The New York Times indicated today (Monday) that CBS execs aren't quite sure what to make of Letterman's surprise announcement and aren't even sure whether he intends to take additional Fridays off. A network spokesman told the newspaper, "We certainly don't expect it to be a prolonged policy."
Letterman Hangs Out His Shingle Again
2 April 2003 (StudioBriefing)
David Letterman, recovered from a four-week bout with shingles, returned to The Late Show Monday night and scored a 5.3 rating, handily beating Jay Leno's Tonight Show. Meanwhile, Reuters observed today (Wednesday) that both comedians are increasingly dishing out jokes about the war in Iraq, with Leno, in particular, becoming bolder in his jibes. (Sample: "This war is not about oil -- it's about gasoline," said Leno, adding that he could think of five reasons to attack Iraq: "Shell, Exxon, Mobil, Texaco and BP [British Petroleum].") In his opening monologue upon his return to The Late Show, Letterman remarked, "Thirty days it took me to get over the shingles. And according to Donald Rumsfeld, that's right on schedule."
Leno's "Witty Banter" Coming to U.K.
5 March 2003 (StudioBriefing)
FTN, the digital TV channel launched by Britain's high-speed Internet provider Flextech in January, plans to carry The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on a one-day delay beginning April 1st. "Leno has become an American institution and has an armada of fans," an FTN spokeswoman told the U.K. entertainment website Digital Spy. "FTN is pleased to bring his witty banter and unique style to U.K. viewers." David Letterman's Late Show has bounced around British commercial channels and is currently carried -- also on a one-day delay -- by another digital broadcaster, ITV2.
Letterman Has Shingles
3 March 2003 (WENN)
American chat show king David Letterman will remain off air for the foreseeable future after contracting shingles in his right eye. The wise-cracking interviewer took his first ever unscheduled sick-day in 21 years on Wednesday and is now set to remain off work for some time. Louis Aronne of New York Presbyterian Hospital says, "Tests have shown that Dave's eye infection is a result of shingles. It has been treated, and the area of inflammation has gone down significantly. Dave is on his way to a full recovery." Guest Bruce Willis filled in for the absent Letterman on short notice on Wednesday. Tennis champ John McEnroe sat behind the desk Thursday night and Regis Philbin asked the questions Friday. And a source at the show thinks the idea of getting guests to fill in is a great idea. He says, "They thought, why not? They already had guests booked, and they thought they would take a crack at a show." The show was due to take a break next week, but it is not yet clear whether Letterman will be back in his chair for March 10 as planned.
Terrified Bruce Steps in As Late Night TV Host
28 February 2003 (WENN)
Bruce Willis has fought bad guys, saved the world and seen dead people on the big screen but he faced his toughest challenge on TV in America Wednesday night. The movie hunk, who was scheduled to appear on The Late Show to promote his new film Tears Of The Sun, found himself hosting the show when chat show titan David Letterman phoned in sick - with an eye infection. Admitting he was terrified, Willis did a good job of hosting the hour-long late- night show, interviewing news man Dan Rather about his chat with Saddam Hussein and Baywatch babe Carmen Electra, who was brought in at the last minute to help boost the show. The actor also had fun playing harmonica with Letterman's house band, took out his frustrations by smashing up a pile of CDs with a sledgehammer and even dressed up for a skit to promote his new film, in which he pretended to be a number of different people raving about his new war film. But there was no mistaking his nerves at the beginning of the show. He said, "I am not David Letterman, I'm Bruce Willis. Dave is home with a little eye problem and I couldn't be more honored and I couldn't be more scared to death to be here." Never one to miss an opportunity to promote a new project, Willis closed his stint as a late night TV host by saying, "I've just spoken to Dave on the phone and he doesn't want cards or flowers or any of that junk. He just wants you to go and see my new movie Tears Of The Sun on March 7."
Letterman Takes First Sick Day - In 20 Years
27 February 2003 (WENN)
American talk show host David Letterman took a sick day off his top-rated program yesterday - due to an eye infection. Actor Bruce Willis was an emergency replacement, and interviewed venerable journalist Dan Rather about his interview with Saddam Hussein. A Late Show representative said that apart from his time off following a heart bypass operation - it's the first time Letterman has called in sick in 20 years.
Ed Gordon Wants BET to Admit Its "Mistake"
23 December 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Following the attention his interview show received last week when he interviewed Trent Lott, BET host Ed Gordon is hoping that the black cable network will reconsider its earlier to decision to cancel it. "I hope BET takes a page out of ABC's book when there were whispers that Nightline was going to be replaced" by David Letterman, Gordon told Saturday's Washington Post. "ABC eventually came to see it as a thriving and viable program, and saw they'd made a mistake." He added, "BET has always said that news and public affairs are important to us, but they're clearly not as important as they used to be." Meanwhile, today's (Monday) New York Times reported that Gordon is being considered as the host of a syndicated talk show and that CNN is reviewing tapes of his work.
TV Star Apologizes to Pfeiffer
10 October 2002 (WENN)
Everybody Loves Raymond star Patricia Heaton has apologized to Michelle Pfeiffer after claiming the movie star had undergone plastic surgery - at the hands of her own doctor. Heaton shocked viewers of David Letterman's late night talk show in America last week when she talked joked about Pfeiffer's cosmetic surgery, but now she insists she was joking. Heaton says, "In an attempt at being humorous, I made statements regarding an actress and plastic surgery that were completely fabricated. I have since spoken with Michelle, and she has very graciously accepted my apology." Heaton also blamed the media for misconstruing her comments and assuming she was talking about Pfeiffer. A spokeswoman for Pfeiffer confirmed the apology has been accepted but says, "This is serious. I don't want this to just be a joke that went awry."
Warren Zevon Has Two Months To Live
13 September 2002 (WENN)
Rocker Warren Zevon has been diagnosed with untreatable lung cancer. The "Werewolves Of London" singer-songwriter, 55, has been told he has less than two months to live. The star says, "I'm OK with it, but it'll be a drag if I don't make it 'til the next James Bond movie comes out." The singer, who quit a lifelong smoking habit eight years ago, is spending his remaining days hanging out with his two children and "recording as many songs as I can." Zevon has been a dark oddity on the world's album charts ever since his first LP, Wanted Dead Or Alive, was released in 1969, but it was his hit 1978 album Excitable Boy, which turned him into a mainstream star, thanks mainly to the hit song, "Werewolves of London." The singer has been dogged with alcohol-related ill-health and was treated for alcoholism in the 1980s. Zevon was slated to perform on David Letterman's The Late Show, where he has been a regular guest over the years, in October to promote his upcoming 22-track career retrospective, Genius: The Best Of Warren Zevon, but it is unknown whether he'll be able to appear due to the state of his health.
Clinton Spends an Hour With Letterman
12 September 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Bill Clinton made a surprise appearance Wednesday night on David Letterman's show and engaged in one of the few discussions of the night about international politics and terrorism. When Letterman expressed admiration about Clinton's remarks, the former president quipped, "When you're president you learn to act like you know what you're talking about. ... You don't lose it overnight. It sort of drifts away from you." Asked again whether he would consider hosting a TV talk show, Clinton noted that the networks have already filled their late-night schedules and that daytime periods are not conducive to political discussions.
Where Is Letterman On Emmy List?
26 July 2002 (StudioBriefing)
David Bianculli, the television critic of the New York Daily News has pointed out what he calls a glaring omission on the list of Emmy nominees: David Letterman, he notes, does not appear in the category Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. Commented Bianculli: "This is the man who gave television one of its most important entertainment hours of the entire season ... six days after the terrorist attacks on his adopted city and home base. It was a highly personal, intensely individual moment, and so brave, honest and mesmerizing a performance that it should have been a lock. Failing to acknowledge Letterman's finest hour ... is simply inexcusable."
Letterman Beats Letterman
10 July 2002 (StudioBriefing)
David Letterman's appearance with Ted Koppel on the premiere of ABC's "Nightline: Up Close" was beaten Monday night by Letterman's appearance on his own show. While the ABC telecast pulled a 3.2/9 -- a 28-percent jump for the midnight-12:30 time period on the network -- Letterman's own show, with Tom Hanks as guest, averaged a 4.0/10. Both shows placed behind Jay Leno's Tonight show on NBC, which appeared unaffected by the competition, scoring a 4.6/11.
Dave Vs. Dave
9 July 2002 (StudioBriefing)
David Letterman was on the air opposite David Letterman last night as he appeared on both his own Late Show on CBS and the new "Nightline Up Close" on ABC at midnight. Interviewed by Ted Koppel, who nearly lost his Nightline job earlier this year when ABC execs attempted to entice Letterman to jump ship, Letterman acknowledged that he was tempted to do so. "It's like dating," he said. "You show up at the prom with a girl and look across the floor and think, 'Maybe I'll have more fun with that girl over there.' It's human nature." Koppel himself commented at the outset, "Since we always like to make our friends at Disney [ABC's owners] happy, we considered who to invite for our first guest. That's when it struck us, the irony. They wanted Letterman, so here he is." The Washington Post's Tom Shales appraised the show as "good conversation and quietly terrific television."
Letterman To Cross Over To Nightline
24 June 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Calling it "the denouement to this year's most riveting late-night drama," today's (Monday) New York Times reported that David Letterman has agreed to be interviewed by ABC's Ted Koppel next month. The newspaper said that Letterman agreed to do the interview last March when Koppel called to thank him for his complimentary remarks during his announcement that he had decided to remain at CBS. The interview will take place during the first edition of Koppel's new "Nightline: Up Close," which is due to replace Politically Incorrect at 12:05 a.m. between July and January, when it in turn will be succeeded by another talk show featuring comedian Jimmy Kimmel. It will be Letterman's first interview since 1996. Koppel will also be interviewed by Letterman on Letterman's show the same week, the Times said.
NBC Wanted Dave Back, Says Report
10 June 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Beginning last July, NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker attempted to lure David Letterman away from CBS by proposing that he host a one-hour talk show every weeknight except Thursday at 8:00 p.m., the New York Times reported today (Monday). The newspaper said that although Zucker declined to comment on the matter, it was confirmed by Rob Burnett, head of Letterman's Production Company, Worldwide Pants. "It was a very smart idea," Burnett told the Times, noting, however, that Letterman has always resisted the idea of switching to primetime TV. He said that he suggested that NBC give Jay Leno the 8:00 p.m. time period and move Letterman into the Tonight show time frame -- but that Zucker rejected the idea.
ABC News Chief Tries To Calm Waters
21 May 2002 (StudioBriefing)
ABC News President David Westin gave special praise to the network's news anchor, Peter Jennings, Monday when he accepted a Peabody Award for ABC's coverage of the Sept. 11 events. Reporting on Westin's comments, the trade publication Broadcasting & Cable observed on its website that they "wouldn't seem unusual at all except that there have been reports that in negotiating a new contract for Jennings, ABC has suggested cutting his pay, and in that context, the Westin remarks seemed to have been a public way of defusing the rumor." ABC also received a Peabody Award for Nightline with Ted Koppel. In an interview with the Dallas Morning News, Koppel paraphrased Winston Churchill, who famously remarked in a book recounting his experience as a war correspondent covering the Boer War in 1899: "There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at without result." Asked about the show's two-year renewal, Koppel went on: "I don't think it's a stay of execution. ... They had what they saw as an extraordinary economic opportunity to hire David Letterman and increase their income practically overnight at a time when the network as a whole is not doing well financially. I had no trouble with that. I can't say I like it, but I understand it."
Disney President Chastises Barbara Walters
7 May 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Suggesting that nerves may be more frayed at the upper echelons of ABC than had previously been thought, Disney president Robert Iger has sharply rebuked Barbara Walters, arguably ABC's biggest attraction. In an interview set to appear in the June issue of Vanity Fair, Iger discusses Walters' remarks on her daytime talk show The View in which she defended the late-night show Nightline after its relevancy was questioned by an unnamed ABC exec in an interview with the New York Times. At the time Iger was trying to replace the program with David Letterman. "Go on any street corner and say what you like, even if it's about the company you work for," Iger says in the interview. "Write an Op-Ed in The New York Times, appear on Larry King if you want. But to use one of our own programs to do that?" The Vanity Fair article also identifies Zenia Muchia, ABC senior vice president for communications, as the probable source of the remark about Nightline's relevance. The article goes on to say that while a recent announcement by Iger said that Nightline would continue for "years to come," a private memorandum suggests that it will be replaced by 2004.
Koppel Says He Won't Chase Younger Audience
29 April 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Despite his awareness that ABC was prepared to drop his show if it could have made a deal with David Letterman, Ted Koppel has told the Washington Post that he has no intention of altering Nightline in order to attract the younger audience that advertisers demand (and that Letterman provides). "It would be a mistake to do that," Koppel told the newspaper. "We have a larger audience than David Letterman. We have a larger audience than all the cable newscasts combined." Besides, he remarked, "I still think 60- and 70-year-old people buy things." Koppel also said that he has not yet heard from the ABC exec who anonymously told the New York Times last month that Nightline had become irrelevant. Besides, he maintained, the program is "as relevant or more relevant than we've ever been."
First Koppel, Now Donaldson
18 April 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Rumors have resurfaced that ABC News is set to oust Sam Donaldson from the Sunday newsmaker show "This Week" and replace him with George Stephanopoulos. Donaldson's current co-moderator, Cokie Roberts, has already announced her intention to leave the show when her contract expires in November. A spokeswoman for "This Week" told the online edition of TV Guide, "ABC is planning to make changes to 'This Week' but final decisions have not been made." Last month, ABC News officials denied a similar report that appeared in the Hollywood Reporter about Stephanopoulos replacing Donaldson. At the time, Donaldson said that he had been assured by David Westin that he would remain on the program. A few days later, the veteran correspondent condemned what he described as an effort by all networks, including his own, to reduce serious news content, citing ABC's apparent eagerness to dump Nightline and replace it with David Letterman. Two years ago, Donaldson said that he had been assured by Westin that he would be assigned to front documentary specials for the network. He also expressed confidence that he would be able to contribute features about politics to ABC's magazine shows, including Primetime, which he once co-anchored with Diane Sawyer. Instead, he has been relegated to fronting an experimental Internet newscast that attracts a relative handful of people.
Nightline Gets A Lifeline
9 April 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Only weeks after ABC and Disney execs prepared to toss it on the trash heap if they could have landed David Letterman, Ted Koppel's Nightline has finally received a long-term commitment from the powers-that-be. In a statement Monday, Disney President Robert Iger praised the show and expressed confidence that it would continue to set high standards in TV news reporting "for years to come." Following the Letterman debacle, Koppel had asked for a "clear and unmistakable signal" by ABC execs that the program would receive "serious corporate backing." But the network and Disney remained noncommittal. Following Iger's statement, Koppel issued one of his own saying, "It is especially gratifying for me and everyone at Nightline to have questions about the future of the broadcast so warmly and enthusiastically resolved at the highest levels of the corporation." He later told the Wall Street Journal that he had also received private assurances from Iger and Disney chairman Michael Eisner about the show's future.
"Double Your Dave"
4 April 2002 (StudioBriefing)
In what Philadelphia Inquirer TV writer Gail Shister described today (Thursday) as a possible case of "Double Your Dave," David Letterman's production company has said that it is discussing the practicality of rebroadcasting CBS's The Late Show a day later on a Viacom cable network -- probably either MTV or VH1. Repurposing "is the way of the world, with the TV landscape being the way it is and finances being what they are," Letterman producer Rob Burnett told Shister. "It can be very helpful, if done properly."
Barbara Walters Says ABC News Returning To Normalcy
29 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Barbara Walters, plugging her 20/20 program about Saudi Arabia that airs tonight (Friday), has told the New York Post that "we're back to business now" at ABC News following the recent flap about the network's pursuit of David Letterman and its plans to oust Ted Koppel's Nightline from the 11:30 p.m. (ET) time slot. "I don't hear the grumbling or mumbling" that she did at the time of the dust-up, she told the Post. Moreover, she pointed out, "We had 20 people with us in Saudi Arabia, we spent a lot of money and nobody [higher up at ABC or Disney] begrudged it." She then added, "But I can't speak for everybody at the whole network."
Peabody Winners Announced
28 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Programs about the Sept. 11 attacks, particularly those produced by ABC News and National Public Radio, were honored with Peabody Awards Wednesday. The NBC series Third Watch was also presented an award for the special episode "In Their Own Words," which also dealt with the attacks. Among other Peabody winners was the ABC late-night show Nightline. A news release from the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, which administers the awards, referred to the ABC news program as "beleaguered." The program would have been axed by ABC had the network successfully landed David Letterman to host a late-night talk show. Peabody judges called it "a truly remarkable television institution." Also among the winners was Fox's The Bernie Mac Show, which was cited for transcending "race and class while lifting viewers with laughter, compassion -- and cool."
Conspicuous Absences At DC Correspondents' Dinner
22 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
The Washington DC Radio & Television Correspondents' Association dinner Thursday night failed to attract the usual top government officials this year, counting the president, the vice-president, and the secretary of defense among the no-shows, the Washington Post observed today (Friday). "We're being dissed really big time!" NewsHour media correspondent Terence Smith remarked at the dinner. (NewsHour host Ted Koppel also failed to show up to receive an award, reportedly because he was stricken with the flu.) Nightline correspondent Chris Bury, referring to the recent to-do over ABC's effort to lure David Letterman to the network to replace Nightline, paraphrased Mark Twain: "Reports of our demise are overrated," he said. He then quoted Winston Churchill, who, as a young war correspondent, once wrote: "There is nothing so exhilarating as being shot at and missed."
Letterman Suitor Says Dave Just Wanted CBS To "Pay More Attention"
19 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
The former CBS television executive who was responsible for wooing David Letterman to the network in 1992 has indicated that the $31.5 million that it recently offered the late-night host to stay was probably not the primary bait. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Howard Stringer, now CEO of Sony Cop. of America, commented, "The message [Letterman] gave [to CBS] was pay more attention to me because, he would be modest, but he is a signature talent and you don't have many of those on a network anymore -- and I think (CBS) knows it and they worked very quickly to solve the problem and I'm happy for them and for David."
If Dave Left, CBS Wanted Conan, Says NYT
18 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
During the tug-of-war contest with ABC over David Letterman earlier this month, CBS made overtures to Conan O'Brien about taking over the Late Show timeslot if Letterman decided to switch to ABC, the New York Times reported today. In an interview with the newspaper, CBS chairman Les Moonves confirmed the conversations, saying "I was still optimistic that we'd keep Dave, but it's dumb not to be prepared." Associates of O'Brien told the Times that O'Brien spurned the CBS feelers, partly because he did not want to be used as leverage against Letterman. In the same article, the Times also reported that during the negotiations, Letterman's representatives asked for clarification about the future of Ted Koppel's Nightline. ABC Entertainment chief Lloyd Braun said that he replied that "the Nightline people knew they did not have that time period in perpetuity." Rob Burnett, head of Letterman's production company, said that the ABC execs told him, "We are getting someone else for the time slot." [While the Times article contains minute details about the negotiations with Letterman -- prior to a face-to-face meeting with the late-show host, Disney President Robert Iger stopped by a bakery and bought Letterman a cheesecake -- it does not suggest what ultimately tipped the scales in favor of CBS.]
Jay Says He's Not Jealous Of Dave's Deal
15 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Jay Leno has told the New York Post that he's not miffed that NBC pays him $17 million per year, slightly more than half the $31.5 million that Dave Letterman was offered to remain at CBS. "It doesn't bother me," Leno remarked. "I never got mad at what anybody else made because it has nothing to do with me." He said that he was satisfied with the money he makes. "The proof of that is in my last negotiation," which he said lasted five minutes. He says an NBC exec told him what the network's offer was, "and I said, 'That's great. Case closed.'"
The News Becomes The News
13 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Top Disney and ABC executives engaged in (collateral) damage control Tuesday, following David Letterman's decision to reject their offers to woo him away from CBS. Disney Chairman Michael Eisner phoned Nightline host Ted Koppel from France, where he was attending the opening of a new theme park, and had what several published reports described as a "warm and friendly" conversation with him. However, the New York Times observed that Koppel did not receive what he had hoped for: a long-term corporate commitment to Nightline. The conversation, which reportedly was brief, took place one day after Koppel issued a statement saying that ABC's failed effort to land Letterman had done "collateral damage" to Nightline and that the show's staff could not work effectively "in a climate of ongoing uncertainty." Today's (Wednesday) Wall Street Journal reported that ABC News chief David Westin had asked Koppel not to issue the statement and had spent most of the day Tuesday attempting to shore up the morale of his staff. Today's New York Daily News reported that, in a conference call, Westin told ABC staffers that the best way to "ensure a strong future for ABC News" was to be "bolder, more innovative and more competitive."
ABC News Staffers Divided Over Koppel
13 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Support for Ted Koppel was by no means undivided at ABC News or in the news media in general. News reports said that ABC staffers were miffed that Koppel had reduced his own commitment to Nightline to three nights a week, that the program had become less edgy and compelling in recent months, and that while he is paid close to $10 million a year to anchor the program, they had been asked to work longer hours for less pay. New York Post columnist Cindy Adams commented today that it is "tough to feel sorry" for such a "mandarin." And Chris Matthews, host of CNBC's Hardball, laid into Koppel at a meeting of the Cable TV Public Affairs Assn. in Washington. As reported by Broadcasting & Cable, Matthews remarked that cable had "overtaken" the networks for news, that Koppel wasn't "that good," and, noting that Koppel now devotes only three nights a week to Nightline, he asked, "If the show's so good, why doesn't he show up?" Nevertheless, as today's (Wednesday) Wall Street Journal observed in reporting on the flap, on Monday night, the night that David Letterman announced that he would stay at CBS, his show was beaten in the ratings by Nightline.
Letterman: "Aye" To Eye
12 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Ending nearly two weeks of rumors and speculation, David Letterman used his nightly monologue Monday night to announce that he will remain at CBS. News reports indicated that he made his decision to stay put only a few hours before the telecast. "Can you believe there are two networks fighting over this crap -- crazy, ain't it?" Letterman quipped at one point in the monologue. Terms of his deal were not officially disclosed Monday, but news reports said that he would take home an annual salary of $31 million and that he received assurances that his late-night show will receive more promotion than it has in the past. At one point in the monologue he spoke directly to the ABC executives who had courted him. ""Whatever you decide to do at 11:30, I wish you the very best," he said. "And my personal hope is that it will continue to be occupied by Ted Koppel and Nightline for as long as that guy would like to have that job -- that is just the way it ought to be." He said that Koppel "represents the very highest echelon of broadcast achievement ... [and] at the very least deserves the right to determine his own professional future."
What About Koppel?
12 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Although David Letterman will remain in his timeslot at CBS, it was by no means certain that Ted Koppel will remain in his at ABC. The network released a statement by its president, Alex Wallau, saying, "At ABC our ongoing objective is to provide a top-quality schedule with strong audience appeal. In today's competitive environment, it is incumbent upon us to explore all programming options, and The Late Show with David Letterman was an opportunity that ABC felt compelled to pursue. From the outset, we've always said that Ted Koppel and Nightline would have a significant presence at ABC News. Nightline will remain in its time period." The statement appeared to off-put Koppel and the producers of Nightline, who released their own statement asking the Disney company for "a clear and unmistakable signal" that the show would continue. "We need something more than bland assurances or a short-term guarantee," their statement said, noting also that "there must be a great many talented comedians who would welcome the opportunity to take over the Nightline time slot." Today's (Tuesday) Washington Post quoted unnamed ABC News staffers as expressing surprise over the tone of the statement. "The worst thing they could do is overplay their hand," one said. "I don't believe the guarantees they're seeking exist anywhere in this business."
Dave Returns. Where Will He Go?
11 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
David Letterman is expected to draw a huge audience tonight (Monday), when he returns to the air following a Caribbean vacation during which reports emerged that he may jump from CBS to ABC. Today's New York Daily News reported that Letterman is expected to announce his decision about a move as early as today, possibly on tonight's telecast. (He'll have only three opportunities to do so on the TV show this week, since two nights will be preempted by NCAA basketball.). Meanwhile, Walt Disney Co. President Robert Iger acknowledged on Friday that he had one regret about his company's pursuit of Letterman: not responding quickly to newspaper reports quoting an unnamed ABC executive as questioning the current relevancy of the network's Nightline, which currently airs opposite Letterman and NBC's Jay Leno. "If there were mistakes made, it was in allowing statements like that to live in the public eye without addressing them immediately, and for that I take full responsibility," Iger told the Associated Press. And in an interview with Britain's Guardian newspaper, Professor Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University in New York, commented: "There are millions of people who want Ted Koppel to stay on the air, who think Nightline is one of the last bastions of serious journalism. And then they go home at 11:30 p.m. and they turn on David Letterman."
Howard Stern Throws Down The Late Night Gauntlet
8 March 2002 (WENN)
In the wake of reports that David Letterman was negotiating to leave CBS for ABC, news leaked that if Letterman left, shock jock Howard Stern would be given his late night time slot and go head to head with Letterman and Jay Leno. Now PageSix.com is reporting that Stern has not only confirmed the rumor, but is claiming he will "kick [Dave's] a**." Stern's last TV venture with CBS, a Saturday night show, was cancelled following low ratings and the pull-out of advertisers over his offensive stunts. Variety reported on Thursday evening that CBS has since agreed to Letterman's salary demands of $31.5 million, but that other items such as control, promotion, and production rights remain sticking points in the negotiations. (This item was compiled by IMDb staff)
Suitors In Suits Woo Letterman
8 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
In the tug-of-war between CBS and ABC over David Letterman, each network is trying to outdo the other, not with offers of higher pay for Letterman, but with promises of stronger marketing and promotion, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported today (Friday). ABC execs have reportedly tried to entice him with a new set in Times Square, the advantage of better local news lead-ins in many major markets, recent deals with sports franchises (Letterman has a strong following among young males), and promotions on ESPN. CBS is promising to promote the show on corporate siblings MTV and VH1 and on the hundreds of radio stations owned by another corporate sibling, Infinity Broadcasting. The WSJ noted that analysts and media buyers are giving the edge to CBS. Commented the Times: "It is no longer just a battle of the networks. It is also a battle of the conglomerates."
CBS To Dave: Let's Make A Deal
7 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
CBS has offered David Letterman $31.5 million a year plus bonuses to persuade him to remain with the network, the Associated Press reported today (Thursday), citing an unnamed network source. Under the proposed deal, Letterman would also receive additional salary increases, the wire service said. The AP report follows one by Time Inc.'s Entertainment Weekly saying that ABC had offered Letterman $31 million a year to leave CBS. Appearing on Charlie Rose's talk show on PBS Wednesday, New York Times reporter Bill Carter denied speculation that the story of Letterman's negotiations with ABC had been leaked to him as part of a scheme by Letterman's agents to strengthen t |
