Dave Letterman surprised his late night audience on Thursday night by announcing that he is retiring in 2015, when his current contract expires. He turns 67 next week. Letterman gave no specific date, but said he'd leave some time in the not too distant future, "2015, for the love of God, Paul and I will be wrapping things up."
Letterman has been the host of a late night talk program for more than thirty years. He told viewers he called CBS chairman Leslie Moonves, "I phoned him just before the program, and I said, 'Leslie, it's been great, you've been great, and the network has been great, but I'm retiring.'"
The Late Show broadcasts from the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. Already Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti sent an open letter to the CBS chair asking Moonves to move the program in its next incarnation to LA. New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito put in her own request to Moonves, to keep the Late Show right where it is, here in New York.
April 4, 2014
Leslie Moonves
President & CEO CBS Corporation
51 West 52nd Street New York, NY 10019
Dear Mr. Moonves:
The recent announcement that David Letterman will be retiring as the host of The Late Show was sad and surprising news to myself and to millions of other New Yorkers. For 32 years, The Late Show has been a proud part of New York City's amazing entertainment culture. That is why I'm writing to urge you to keep future production and filming of The Late Show right here in New York City, where the program began and where David Letterman found such great success. New York City has always been the home of The Late Show, and nothing could be better for the future of the program than to continue in that tradition when the torch is passed to a new host. On top of that, New York continues to be a great place to film. While popular programs are leaving other cities, they're flocking to New York in record numbers. In fact, between the 2011 and 2014, the number of TV series produced in New York City shot up from 18 to 27. We also greatly appreciate and understand the industry's ability to create good jobs and support small businesses.
Beyond that, The Late Show has always been an iconic presence of New York City's rich entertainment industry. The history between this city and The Late Show is a defining characteristic which viewers all over America recognize and appreciate. What better place for The Late Show than The City That Never Sleeps? I look forward to many more years of the relationship between our city and The Late Show.
Sincerely,
Melissa Mark-Viverito
Speaker