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CNN Live Today

Carson All-Time King of Late Night

Aired May 13, 2002 - 12:57   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Some television talk now: America's choice for all-time favorite late-night show hosts. And the results are in.

Frank Newport, Gallup Poll editor-in-chief, with those and more in Princeton.

Hey, Frank, good afternoon. Who won?

FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Well, there is method in our madness, I should tell you, Bill. This is almost the 10-year anniversary, as you might know, of Johnny Carson's having left "The Tonight Show" back in May of 1992. That is why we asked the question.

We actually listed six legendary late-night talk show hosts, going all the way back to Steve Allen and Jack Paar and Carson and Letterman and Leno, for people. We said, "Make your choice."

Well, it's Johnny Carson, good news for the retired Carson, who now makes his home in Malibu, California; 39 percent of Americans say Carson still, in their minds, remains the best talk show host of all time. He significantly beats Letterman and Leno, as you can see here -- next with Steve Allen. I didn't put Jack Paar or Dick Cavett up here, because their numbers were even lower than Steve Allen's.

Interesting age differences here: We might expect younger Americans are more skewed towards appeal for Leno and Letterman. Actually, the Letterman appealed to the younger demos is what came to that battle with Ted Koppel, you know, where he might have moved over. You can see, however, Carson who does better in the older group, still 26 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds say he is their favorite of all time, Bill. And many of them were teenagers or younger when he was still on the air.

As I mentioned, for Leno and Letterman, their appeal skews very young. If you get older, very few Americans remember them as their favorite of all time.

Now, Bill, I have a question for you. In what region of the country would you think Johnny Carson does best when we ask this question?

HEMMER: All right, Frank, thanks. Sorry, someone was talking in my ear and I couldn't hear the end of it -- Frank Newport watching things in Princeton, New Jersey.

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