Coordinates

34°03′″N118°15′″N

{{infobox broadcast | call letters

WLWT| city | station_logo Image:WLWT.png140px| station_slogan ''Straight to the Point''| station_branding News 5| digital 35 (UHF)Virtual: 5 (PSIP)| other_chs | subchannels 5.1 NBC5.2 MeTV| network | founded February 9, 1948| location Cincinnati, Ohio| callsign_meaning World'sLargestWireless(sister to radio station)Television| former_callsigns W8XCT (Experimental, 1946–1948)| former_channel_numbers Analog:1 (1946–1948)4 (1948–1952)5 (1952–2010)| owner Hearst Television| licensee Ohio/Oklahoma Hearst Television, Inc.| sister_stations | former_affiliations All secondary:CBS/ABC/DuMont (1948–1949)''DT2''NBC Weather Plus (2005–2008)News 5 Weather Plus (2008-2011)| effective_radiated_power 1000 kW| HAAT 295 m (analog)310.5 m (digital)| class | facility_id 46979| coordinates | homepage www.wlwt.com| }}

WLWT, also known as ''News 5'', is a television station in Cincinnati, Ohio, broadcasting digitally on UHF channel 35 as an NBC affiliate. The station is owned by Hearst Television.

History

WLWT was established by the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation, owners of WLW radio, one of America's most powerful radio stations. Crosley Broadcasting Corporation was a subsidiary of the Crosley Corporation, which became a subsidiary of the Aviation Corporation (later Avco) in 1945. After airing experimentally from 1946 as W8XCT on channel 1, the station began commercial broadcasts on February 9, 1948. Its studios were housed with WLW in the Crosley Square building, a converted Elks Lodge No. 5 in downtown Cincinnati.

WLWT counts itself as the first station outside the eastern U.S. (other than network-owned stations) to join the NBC television network as a primary affiliate, but originally carried programming from all the major television networks of the time: NBC, ABC, CBS and DuMont. It later affiliated solely with NBC in 1949, after WKRC-TV and WCPO-TV signed on.

For many years, the station's IDs and advertising used a hyphen in its callsign ("WLW-T"), but that was dropped in the mid-1960s. The hypenated "T" referred to Television, as it did in WLW-C (now WCMH-TV, Columbus), WLW-D (now WDTN, Dayton) and WLW-I (now WTHR, Indianapolis), making up the Tri-State's only interconnected network. Crosley also owned WLW-A (now WXIA-TV) in Atlanta, Georgia and WOAI-TV in San Antonio, Texas. "WLW Television" boasted a million dollars worth of talent resulting in such programs as ''The Ruth Lyons 50-50 Club'' (later hosted by Bob Braun after Lyons' retirement in 1967), the ''Paul Dixon Show'', and ''Midwestern Hayride''. For a period during the 1970s, the station's slogan was, "5, The Originator" in reference to all of the local programming that was produced by the station.

In 1957, WLWT introduced color television broadcasts to the Cincinnati market. It later became the first station in the nation to broadcast entirely in color, giving the Cincinnati the nickname "Colortown U.S.A." by 1962.

The broadcast division continued to operate as the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation, until it took the name of its parent company in 1968, becoming Avco Broadcasting Corporation. When the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enacted in 1969 its "one-to-a-market" rule, which enforced the ban on common ownership of two or more television stations with overlapping coverage areas while grandfathering some already existing instances, the common ownership of WLWT, WLWC, WLWD and WLWI was among those combinations which were grandfathered under the new rule. WLWT provided city-grade coverage of Dayton itself and grade B coverage to most of the Dayton and Columbus markets. But in the mid-1970s, Avco decided to leave broadcasting and sold all of its stations to separate buyers. WLWT was among the last to be sold, going to Multimedia, Inc. (along with Avco-Embassy Television, Avco's production division) in 1976. As a result, the stations all lost their grandfathered protection, which led to an ownership conflict situation which Hearst-Argyle (predecessor to today's Hearst Television) would encounter two decades later (see next paragraph). The FCC has since relaxed its adjacent-market ownership rules.

The Gannett Company bought the Multimedia group in 1995. As Gannett had owned ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' since 1979 (and remains the newspaper's owner to this day), the company had to obtain a temporary waiver of an FCC cross-ownership rule which prohibited common ownership of a television station and a newspaper in the same market in order for Gannett to close on the Multimedia group. When the waiver expired in December 1996, Gannett opted to keep the ''Enquirer'' and swap WLWT and KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City to Argyle Television Holdings II in exchange for WGRZ in Buffalo, New York and WZZM in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a deal which was finalized in January 1997. Argyle merged with the broadcasting unit of the Hearst Corporation to form Hearst-Argyle Television in August 1997. Hearst had owned WDTN (the former WLWD) since 1981, but the merged company opted to keep the larger WLWT and sell WDTN the next year. WLWT's licensee name under Multimedia and Gannett ownership, ''Multimedia Entertainment, Inc.'', survives to this day as the licensee name for WGRZ.

WLWT briefly aired UPN programming in the early morning hours on weekends during parts of 1998 and 1999 after that netlet was displaced from its previous affiliate WSTR-TV by WB programming, before UPN finally affiliated with the former WB affiliate WBQC-CA later in 1999. It is one of two Cincinnati stations to have never changed its primary affiliation; the other is Fox affiliate WXIX-TV.

In June 1999, WLWT moved its studios to Taft Broadcasting's former headquarters in the Mount Auburn neighborhood (coincidentally, Taft once owned WGRZ as WGR-TV). The station found it necessary to move because Crosley Square, with its two-story ballrooms and basement newsroom, was built more for live entertainment broadcasts than a news operation.

In June 2007, WLWT announced that it would partner with WLW (AM) to provide news and weather for the radio station. As a consequence, WLWT's news and weather was heard nationwide on WLW's XM Satellite Radio channel, at channel 173. The agreement with XM ended in the summer of 2008. WLWT and WLW shared news and weather operations for years when they were both owned by Crosley Broadcasting, but eventual separate ownerships of the two stations (WLWT Argyle then Hearst Television - WLW Clear Channel) led to WLW radio using the resources of WKRC-TV for several years until the renewed partnership with its former television sister. The modern WLW-WLWT partnership ended March 31, 2010. As of April 1, 2010, this partnership moved to WXIX-TV.

The transmission tower seen at the beginning of CBS's popular sitcom, WKRP in Cincinnati, actually belonged to WLWT — it was located at the WLWT transmitter on 2222 Chickasaw Street. That red and white tower stood side-by-side with WLWT's current strobed tower until 2005, when it was dismantled. WLWT sponsors an annual race in the Automobile Racing Club of America, a stock car racing series similar to NASCAR, at Kentucky Speedway. The station simulcasts the live coverage from the Speed Channel. WLWT and WXIX are the only Cincinnati stations to remain with their primary affiliations (NBC and FOX) since this station's sign-on and Fox's October 9th, 1986 launch, respectfully.

Digital television

The station's digital, UHF 35 is multiplexed:

Digital channels
Channel	! Programming
5.1	Main WLWT programming / NBC
5.2	MeTV

NBC Weather Plus ceased network operations in late 2008, but WLWT continued to broadcast local weather programming as News 5 Weather Plus on its digital subchannel until June 30, 2011. The subchannel was replaced by classic television programming from MeTV on July 1, 2011. MeTV competes with Retro Television Network, which is shown on WBQC-LD subchannel 25.3.

Post-analog shutdown

WLWT ended programming on its analog signal, on VHF channel 5, on June 12, 2009, as part of the DTV transition in the United States, and remained on its pre-transition digital channel 35 PSIP is used to display WLWT's virtual channel as 5. WLWT broadcast a nightlight message on its analog channel for one month following the DTV transition deadline.

Cincinnati Reds on WLWT

The first Cincinnati Reds was broadcast in 1947 on W8XCT, which in February 1948 became WLWT-TV. WLWT was the flagship station of the 5 state Reds Television Network from 1948 through 1995, long after most "Big Three" stations dropped sports programming. After 47 years of broadcasting Reds games, WLWT did not renew its contract, citing economic reasons along with pressure from NBC . Waite Hoyt was the original announcer on WLWT, a simulcast with WLW Radio. George Bryson, Sr. replaced him in 1956. When Ed Kennedy became the play by play announcer in 1961, he would remain for 11 seasons, working with Frank McCormick for 8 seasons. Also calling games on WLWT included: Ken Wilson, Charlie Jones, Bill Brown, Ray Lane, Johnny Bench, and Joe Morgan

See Also List of Cincinnati Reds broadcasters

Newscasts

Despite often having been the highest-rated news station in the Cincinnati area in the past, WLWT has been lagging behind rivals WKRC-TV and WCPO-TV in recent years. This can possibly be attributed to the lack of stability among its anchors and meteorologists, as the station as seen a high number of anchor and meteorologist turnover since the 1990s. The team is led by Jack Atherton, Sheree Paolello, and Kevin Robinson. Newscasts consist of News 5 Today, News 5 at Noon (weedays) and News 5 at 5, 5:30 (weedays), 6 and 11pm. Sports Rock is a sports segment focusing mainly on Tri-State professional and college sports and is hosted by sportscasters Ken Broo and George Vogel. It airs on Sunday nights.

News 5 is well-known in the area for its delivery of news based on gimmicks, some of which have been quite popular and successful including "Target 5", "News 5 Nation" and "The Top 5".Several former and current members of WLWT's news staff have been associated with politics, including Jerry Springer, Charlie Luken, Tom Atkins, J. D. Hayworth and Courtis Fuller.

On January 20, 2010, WLWT started broadcasting its newscasts in widescreen 16:9 standard definition. Neither Hearst Television nor WLWT has the necessary budget to go high definition at this time (possibly due to low ratings leading to poor ad revenue and less capital), but is planned within the next couple of years. As a result, although all of the major news stations in Cincinnati now broadcast their newscasts in widescreen, WLWT remains the only one which has yet to begin airing them in full high definition.

As of September 1, 2011, WLWT's newscasts remain in enhanced definition widescreen even after three other Hearst stations upgraded the in-studio segments of their newscasts from enhanced definition widescreen to full high definition.

The Power of 5 Weather Team

WLWT's team of meteorologists consist of meteorologists Kevin Robinson (AMS), Valerie Abati (AMS), Randi Rico (AMS/NWA), and Erik Zarnitz (CBM). WLWT bills its radar as the ''Power of 5 Radar Network''. WLWT has access to five radar sites from Fort Wayne, IN, Indianapolis, IN, Louisville, KY, Cincinnati, OH, and Wilmington, OH, which are all NEXRAD Doppler radars from the National Weather Service, with the exception of its Cincinnati radar which is a live radar manufactured by RadTech. WLWT uses Baron Services FasTrac Millennium and VIPIR radar software. In 2008, then-Chief Meteorologist Derek Beasley obtained exclusive rights to use Gibson Ridge Software's GR2Analyst radar software for on-air use, which provides 3D volumetric presentations of National Weather Service Nexrad Level II Data. Doing this allowed WLWT to become one of only a select few television stations in the entire nation to use this software on-air. WLWT bills this radar as the ''Power of Five XP''. The station maintains a weather beacon atop the Radisson Hotel in Covington dubbed the "Weather Lights".

In the past 13 years there have been seven chief meteorologists including Tom Burse, Dave Fraser, Angelique Frame, Byron Webre, Jim O’Brien, Derek Beasley and Kevin Robinson. Its longest tenure of meteorologists included Tony Sands and Frank Pierce whose careers dated back to WLWT's early years. The average length of stay of a chief meteorologist at WLWT has been 2 to 2.5 years.

WLWT News / Station presentation

Newscast titles

''TV-5 News'' (1960s-early 1970s)

''The News'' (early-mid 1970s)

''TV-5 Action News'' (mid 1970s-1981)

''Action 5 News'' (1981–1986)

''News 5'' (1986–1989, 1991–1998 and 2004–present)

''NewsChannel 5'' (1989–1991)

''WLWT Eyewitness News 5'' (1998–2004; also currently used by sister station KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City)

WLWT Station slogans

''We're The Team'' (1980–1983)

''First. Fast. Accurate.'' (1998–2004)

''Where The News Comes First'' (2004–2008)

''Straight to the Point'' (2008–present)

WLWT On-air staff

Current on-air staff

News 5 Anchors

Jack Atherton – weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m.

Lisa Cooney – weekday mornings "News 5 Today" and noon

Todd Dykes – weekday mornings "News 5 Today"

Courtis Fuller – weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.; also weeknight reporter

Jonathan Hawgood – weekend mornings "News 5 Today"

Sheree Paolello – weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m.

''Power of 5 Weather Team''

Kevin Robinson (AMS Seal of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, and 11 p.m.

Valerie Abati (AMS Seal of Approval) – meteorologist; weekend mornings, also weekday weather producer

Randi Rico (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) – meteorologist; weekday mornings and noon

Erik Zarnitz (CBM) - weekend evenings

News 5 Sports team

Ken Broo – sports director; weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m.

George Vogel – sports anchor; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.

News 5 Reporters

Laura Borchers – general assignment reporter

Kristina Cruise – general assignment reporter

Terry Daniels – general assignment reporter

Brandon Hamilton – traffic reporter

Brian Hamrick – general assignment reporter

Karin Johnson – general assignment reporter

John London – general assignment reporter

Alison Montoya – general assignment reporter

Cheryl Parker – general assignment reporter

Andrew Setters – general assignment reporter

Stephanie Stone – general assignment reporter

Hearst Television Washington Bureau

Sally Kidd – Washington Bureau reporter

Nikole Killion – Washington Bureau reporter

Laurie Kinney – Washington Bureau reporter

Notable WLWT former staff

J. D. Hayworth (Sports, 1986–1987, went to KTSP-TV (now KSAZ-TV), Phoenix, then Congress; currently talk show host at KFYI, Phoenix.)

Bill Hemmer (Sports 1980s, later hosted CNN Mornings, now co-host of "America's Newsroom" at Fox News Channel

Greg Hoard, Sports journalist and commentator

Charlie Luken

Steve Physioc (Sports, early 1980s, now sports announcer for Fox Sports Net)

Jerry Springer (anchor, now host of his own talk show and the game show "Baggage" on GSN, former host of "America's Got Talent" on NBC, and the British version of "The Moment of Truth")

Anne Marie Tiernon (anchor, 2000–2004, now evening anchor at WTHR, Indianapolis)

Solomon Wilcots (Sports, 1990s)

References

External links

WLWT.com – News 5 Official Website

Chronomedia

Category:NBC network affiliates Category:MeTV affiliates Category:IBS Member Stations Category:Channel 35 digital TV stations in the United States Category:Television channels and stations established in 1948 Category:Television stations in Cincinnati, Ohio Category:Major League Baseball over-the-air television broadcasters

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Steve Chabot
state	Ohio
district	1st
party	Republican
term start1	January 3, 2011
preceded1	Steve Driehaus
Term start2	January 3, 1995
Term end2	January 3, 2009
Preceded2	David Mann
Succeeded2	Steve Driehaus
birth date	January 22, 1953
birth place	Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
spouse	Donna Chabot; 2 children
religion	Roman Catholic
occupation	Attorney
residence	Cincinnati, Ohio
alma mater	College of William & Mary (B.A.)Northern Kentucky UniversitySalmon P. Chase College of Law (J.D.) }}

Steven Joseph "Steve" Chabot (born January 22, 1953) is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously represented the district from 1995 to 2009.

Early life, education and career

Chabot was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1953 to Gerard Joseph and Doris Leona (née Tilly) Chabot. He was raised and remains a Roman Catholic. He graduated from La Salle High School in Cincinnati, and then from the College of William and Mary in 1975, earning a B.A. in history. He went on to obtain a Juris Doctor degree from Northern Kentucky University's Salmon P. Chase College of Law, in Highland Heights, Kentucky, in 1978. He worked as an elementary school teacher in 1975–1976 while taking law classes at night.

As a practicing attorney from 1978 to 1994, Chabot was a sole practitioner, operating out of small law office in Westwood. such as domestic disputes and the drafting of wills.

Early political career

Chabot ran unsuccessfully for the Cincinnati City Council as an independent candidate in 1979 and as a Republican in 1983. Then, running as a Republican, he won a seat in 1985 and was reelected in 1987 and 1989. In 1988, he ran a spirited race for the U.S. House of Representatives against seven-term incumbent Democrat Tom Luken, who won by 56% to 44%. He was appointed a Commissioner of Hamilton County, Ohio in 1990, and was elected later that year and again in 1992, staying until 1994. See Election Results, City Council of Cincinnati, Ohio.

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

Committee on Foreign Affairs

*Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific

*Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia (Chairman)

Committee on the Judiciary

*Subcommittee on the Constitution

*Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet

Committee on Small Business

Tenure

Chabot had a conservative voting record and was a member of the Republican Study Committee.

Chabot served as one of 12 "managers" in the Senate Impeachment trial for President Bill Clinton.

As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Constitution, Chabot authored the legislation to ban the practice of partial-birth abortion. President George W. Bush signed the bill into law on November 5, 2003.

Chabot is a strong advocate for fiscal responsibility, and has pursued a fiscally conservative standard for the government. Anti-tax advocacy groups such as Citizens Against Government Waste, the Concord Coalition, and the National Taxpayers Union consistently rated Chabot as one of the most anti-tax members of Congress.

Chabot's work in Congress included the elimination of logging subsidies in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, co-sponsored the Voting Rights Act reauthorization, and promoted relations with Taiwan. Chabot opposes abortion except if the mother's life is in danger or in cases of rape and incest. Chabot authorized a bill, which passed the House but not the Senate, to make it illegal to take a minor across state lines for an abortion. Chabot has voted to restrict federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

In 2002, Chabot helped spearhead the local campaign against building a light rail system in Hamilton County. In that same year, Chabot and John Boehner‎ advocated teaching intelligent design alongside the theory of evolution by natural selection in Ohio high schools.

Chabot was a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online poker. In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act, and voted for H.R. 4411, the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act. In 2007, Chabot voted against the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Plan (S-CHIP) which would have expanded S-CHIP to cover four million more participants. The bill passed the House and Senate, however President Bush vetoed the bill on October 3, 2007. Chabot voted against the veto-override.

Chabot conducted a Town Hall meeting with his constituents on August 22, 2011 where video cameras were banned. During the meeting two citizens had video cameras seized by a police officer. The incident was captured by one of the seized cameras and by press cameras that were allowed to record the meeting. A Chabot spokesman stated that video cameras will be allowed at the next town hall meeting.

Environment

The group Republicans for Environmental Protection issued Chabot an "environmental harm demerit" in 2006 for contributing to urban sprawl by sponsoring H.R. 4772, a bill that allows land use disputes to proceed immediately to federal court; according to the organization, the bill "would have undermined local control over local planning and zoning matters, a central principle of America's federal system." In the same year, the group praised Chabot for offering legislation "prohibiting the Forest Service from spending taxpayer dollars to build new logging roads for private interests in the Tongass National Forest. The nonpartisan League of Conservation Voters gave Chabot a grade of 10% for the 109th Congress, noting that he voted "anti-environment" on 11 out of 12 issues selected by that organization as crucial; his lifetime grade from the LCV is 23%.

In June 2007, Chabot sponsored an amendment to block federally-funded road building in Tongass National Forest. Proponents of the amendment said that the federal timber program in Tongass is a dead loss for taxpayers, costing some $30 million annually, and noted that the Forest Service faces an estimated $900 million road maintenance backlog in the forest. Supporters of the bipartisan amendment included the Republicans for Environmental Protection. Of the bill, Representative Chabot said "I am not opposed to logging when it's done on the timber company's dime...But in this case, they are using the American taxpayer to subsidize these 200 jobs at the tune of $200,000 per job. That just makes no sense".

Earmarks

Chabot was a longtime critic of pork barrel spending and of federal funding for the arts. "I wasn't sent up here to bring pork back to my district" he told the ''Cincinnati Post'' in 1995. In previous Congresses, he has cosponsored bills that would have abolished the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. However, the fiscal 2007 Labor HHS Education appropriations bill did include $1.6 million in earmarks for the Cincinnati Museum Center, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Xavier University, the University of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Center. All five organizations have members on their board of directors who are also members of Chabot's inner circle of contributors and fundraisers.

Gary Lindgren, Chabot's chief of staff, said that "there's not a connection" between the donations and the earmarks. Lindgren said the earmarks are for major institutions where it would be expected that board members would be politically active. "You could look at almost any district, and the people who sit on boards of museums and institutions will be wealthy and donate to campaigns", said Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste. Schatz noted that Chabot has won high marks from CAGW in the past.

Political campaigns

1994 — Chabot was first elected to the House in November 1994. He defeated Democratic incumbent David S. Mann, 56% to 44%, in a heated race over balanced budgets and abortion. It was his second attempt; he had run unsuccessfully in 1988.

1996 — Chabot was a top target of Democrats, but he was re-elected to the U.S. House with 54% of the vote against Democrat Mark Longabaugh.

1998 — successfully defended his seat against popular Cincinnati Mayor Roxanne Qualls, winning 53% to 47%. The issues of school choice and abortion played a key role. In the series of debates during that campaign, Qualls criticized Chabot for not funneling enough federal spending back to his home district. Chabot countered that he would not support "wasteful or unnecessary" federal programs.

2000 — was re-elected in with 53% of the vote, defeating John Cranley for the first time.

2002 — defeated Greg Harris, with 65% of the vote.

2004 — defeated Greg Harris again, with 60% of the vote.

2006 — defeated Democratic challenger John Cranley a second time, 53% to 47%.

2008

Chabot was defeated by state Representative Steve Driehaus.

2010

Chabot defeated Democratic incumbent Steve Driehaus, Libertarian Jim Berns, and Green Party nominee Richard Stevenson. The final results were 52.4% for Chabot and 45.1% for Driehaus.

Electoral history

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%" |+ : Results 1988, 1994–2008 !|Year ! !|Democrat !|Votes !|Pct ! !|Republican !|Votes !|Pct ! !|3rd Party !|Party !|Votes !|Pct ! !|3rd Party !|Party !|Votes !|Pct ! |- |1988 | | |Thomas A. Luken | align="right" |117,682 | |57% | | |Steve Chabot | align="right" |90,738 | |43% | | | | | | | | | | | |- |1994 | | |David S. Mann | align="right" |72,822 | |44% | | | | align="right" |92,997 | |56% | | | | | | | | | | | |- |1996 | | | | align="right" |94,719 | |43% | | |Steve Chabot | align="right" |118,324 | |54% | | |John G. Halley | |Natural Law | align="right" |5,381 | align="right" |2% | | | | | | |- |1998 | | | | align="right" |82,003 | |47% | | |Steve Chabot | align="right" |92,421 | |53% | | | | | | | | | | | |- |2000 | | |John Cranley | align="right" |98,328 | |45% | | |Steve Chabot | align="right" |116,768 | |53% | | |David A. Groshoff | |Libertarian | align="right" |3,399 | align="right" |2% | | |Richard L. Stevenson | |Natural Law | align="right" |1,933 | align="right" |1% | |- |2002 | | |Greg Harris | align="right" |60,168 | |35% | | |Steve Chabot | align="right" |110,760 | |65% | | | | | | | | | | | |- |2004 | | |Greg Harris | align="right" |116,235 | |40% | | |Steve Chabot | align="right" |173,430 | |60% | | | | | | | | | | | |* |- |2006 | | |John Cranley | align="right" |96,584 | |48% | | |Steve Chabot | align="right" |105,680 | |52% | | | | | | | | | | | |- |2008 | | |Steve Driehaus | align="right" |155,455 | |52% | | |Steve Chabot | align="right" |140,683 | |48% | | | | | | | | | | | |*

Personal life

Chabot and his wife Donna have two children.

References

External links

U.S. Congressman Steve Chabot ''official U.S. House site''

Steve Chabot for Congress ''official campaign site''

Profile at SourceWatch

Category:1953 births Category:American Roman Catholics Category:The College of William & Mary alumni Category:Politicians from Cincinnati, Ohio Category:Intelligent design advocates Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio Category:Ohio Republicans Category:Salmon P. Chase College of Law alumni

de:Steve Chabot pl:Steve Chabot sv:Steve Chabot

The Council of eight men was an early representational democracy in New Netherland. It replaced the previous council of twelve men.

Council

In 1643 Abraham Pietersen Van Deusen who had served on the council of twelve men was appointed to a new council of eight men. The council contacted the States-General and blamed governor Willem Kieft for the declining economic condition of the nascent colony, and the war with the Native Americans. They requested that a new Director-General of New Netherland be appointed and that the people themselves be given more influence in the new government. Director General Kieft was dismissed, and Peter Stuyvesant took his place and Stuyvesant remained in power until the colony was turned over to the British in 1664. Kieft returned to Holland, but the vessel was lost at sea and his body was never recovered. John Franklin Jameson (1859–1937) writes:

The commonalty were called together; they were sore distressed. They chose eight, in the stead of the previous twelve, persons to aid in consulting for the best; but the occupation every one had to take care of his own, prevented anything beneficial being adopted at that time. nevertheless it was resolved that as many Englishmen as were to be got in the country should be enlisted, who were indeed now proposing to depart; the third part of these were to be paid by the commonalty; this promise was made by the commonalty but was not followed by the pay.

Council Members

The council members were:

Isaac Allerton

Jan Jansen Dam, who was replaced by Jan Everts Bout

Barent Dircksen

Thomas Hal, sometimes spelled as Thomas Hall

Jochem Pietersen Kuyter

Cornelis Melyn, was chairman

Abraham Pietersen Van Deursen

Gerrit Wolphertsen, who may be the same person as Van Kouwenhoven

See also

Adriaen van der Donck

References

Further reading

Benson John Lossing; The Empire State: A Compendious History of the Commonwealth of New York

Category:Articles about multiple people Category:New Netherland Category:People of New Netherland

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
Name	Charlie Sheen
Birth name	Carlos Irwin Estevez
Birth date	September 03, 1965
Birth place	New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1974–present
Spouse	Donna Peele (1995–1996)Denise Richards (2002–2006)Brooke Mueller (2008–2011)
Parents	Martin Sheen Janet Templeton
Relatives	Emilio Estevez Ramon Estevez Renée Estevez
Children	5
Website	}}

Carlos Irwin Estevez (born September 3, 1965), better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen.

His character roles in films have included Chris Taylor in the 1986 Vietnam War drama ''Platoon'', Jake Kesey in the 1986 film ''The Wraith,'' and Bud Fox in the 1987 film ''Wall Street''. His career has also included more comedic films such as ''Major League'', the ''Hot Shots!'' films, and ''Scary Movie 3'' and ''Scary Movie 4''. On television, Sheen is known for his roles on two sitcoms: as Charlie Crawford on ''Spin City'' and as Charlie Harper on ''Two and a Half Men''. In 2010, Sheen was the highest paid actor on television, earning US$1.8 million per episode of ''Two and a Half Men''.

Early life

Sheen was born Carlos Irwin Estevez in New York City, the youngest son and third of four children of actor Martin Sheen and artist Janet Templeton. His paternal grandparents were immigrants from Galicia (northwestern Spain) and Ireland. Sheen has two older brothers, Emilio Estevez and Ramon Estevez, and a younger sister, Renée Estevez, all actors. His parents moved to Malibu, California, after Martin's Broadway turn in ''The Subject Was Roses''. His first movie appearance was at age nine in his father’s 1974 film ''The Execution of Private Slovik''. Sheen attended Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California, where he was a star pitcher and shortstop for the baseball team.

At Santa Monica High School, he showed an early interest in acting, making amateur Super 8 films with his brother Emilio and school friends Rob Lowe and Sean Penn under his birth name. A few weeks before graduation, Sheen was expelled from school for poor grades and attendance. Deciding to become an actor, he took the stage name Charlie Sheen. His father had adopted it in honor of the Catholic archbishop and theologian Fulton J. Sheen.

Acting career

Film

Sheen's film career began in 1984 with a role in the Cold War teen drama ''Red Dawn'' with Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, and Jennifer Grey. Sheen and Grey reunited in a small scene in ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986). He also appeared in an episode of the anthology series ''Amazing Stories''. Sheen had his first major role in the Vietnam War drama ''Platoon'' (1986). In 1987, he starred with his father in ''Wall Street''. Both ''Wall Street'' and ''Platoon'' were directed by Oliver Stone. In 1988, Stone asked Sheen to star in his new film ''Born on the Fourth of July'' (1989), but later cast Tom Cruise instead. Sheen was never notified by Stone, and only found out when he heard the news from his brother Emilio. Sheen did not take a lead role in Stone's subsequent films, although he did have a cameo role in ''Money Never Sleeps''.

In 1987, Sheen was cast to portray Ron in the unreleased ''Grizzly II: The Predator'', the sequel to the 1976 low budget horror movie ''Grizzly''. In 1988, he starred in the baseball film ''Eight Men Out'' as outfielder Happy Felsch. Also in 1988, he appeared opposite his brother Emilio in ''Young Guns'' and again in 1990 in ''Men at Work''. In 1989, Sheen, John Fusco, Christopher Cain, Lou Diamond Phillips, Emilio Estévez and Kiefer Sutherland were honored with a Bronze Wrangler for their work on the film ''Young Guns''.

In 1990, he starred alongside his father in ''Cadence'' as a rebellious inmate in a military stockade and with Clint Eastwood in the buddy cop action film ''The Rookie''. The films were directed by Martin Sheen and Eastwood, respectively. In 1992, he starred in ''Beyond the Law'' with Linda Fiorentino and Michael Madsen. In 1994, Sheen was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1997, Sheen wrote his first movie, ''Discovery Mars'', a direct-to-video documentary revolving around the question, "Is There Life on Mars?". The next year, Sheen wrote, produced and starred in the action movie ''No Code of Conduct''.

Sheen appeared in several comedy roles, including the ''Major League'' films, ''Money Talks'', and the spoof ''Hot Shots!'' films. In 1999, Sheen appeared in a pilot for A&E; Network, called ''Sugar Hill'', which was not picked up. In 1999, Sheen played himself in ''Being John Malkovich''. He also appeared in the spoof series ''Scary Movie 3'' and follow up ''Scary Movie 4''.

Sheen appears as Dex Dogtective in the unreleased Lionsgate animated comedy ''Foodfight''.

Television

In 2000, Sheen debuted on the small screen when he replaced Michael J. Fox for the last two seasons of the sitcom ''Spin City''. For his work on ''Spin City'', Sheen was nominated for two ALMA Awards and won his first Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy. The series ended in 2002.

In 2003, Sheen was cast as Charlie Harper in the CBS sitcom ''Two and a Half Men'', which followed the popular Monday night time slot of ''Everybody Loves Raymond''. Sheen's role on ''Two and a Half Men'' was loosely based on Sheen's bad boy image. The role garnered him an ALMA Award and he gained three Emmy Award nominations and two Golden Globe award nominations. During his eighth and final season on the show, Sheen earned a record $1.8 million per episode.

Warner Bros. dismissal

In January 2011, production of ''Two and a Half Men'' went on hiatus while Sheen underwent a substance rehabilitation program in his home, his third attempt at rehab in twelve months. The following month, however, CBS canceled the season's four remaining episodes after Sheen publicly made derogatory comments about the series' creator, Chuck Lorre, and Warner Bros. officially banned Sheen from entering its production lot. Sheen, already the highest-paid actor on television, claiming that in comparison to the amount that the series was making, he was "underpaid."

CBS and Warner Bros. fired Sheen from ''Two and a Half Men'' on March 7, 2011. He was replaced by Ashton Kutcher. In the aftermath of his dismissal, Sheen remained vocally critical of Chuck Lorre, and filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Lorre and Warner Bros., which was settled the following September 26. That same month, Sheen, while presenting an award at the Primetime Emmy Awards, addressed "everybody here from ''Two and a Half Men''" and stated, "From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together and I know you will continue to make great television."

Other

On September 19, 2011, Sheen was roasted on Comedy Central. It was watched by 6.4 million people, making it the highest rated roast on Comedy Central to date.

Other ventures

In 2006, Sheen launched a clothing line for kids, called Sheen Kidz.

In 2011, Sheen set a new Guinness World Record for Twitter as the "Fastest Time to Reach 1 Million Followers" (adding an average of 129,000 new followers per day) as well as the Guinness record for "Highest Paid TV Actor Per Episode – Current" at $1.25 million while he was a part of the cast of ''Two and a Half Men'' sitcom. On March 3, 2011, Charlie Sheen signed with Ad.ly marketing agency specializing in Twitter and Facebook promotions.

On March 10, 2011, Sheen announced a nationwide tour, "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option", which began in Detroit on April 2. The tour sold out in 18 minutes, a Ticketmaster record. However, on April 1, 2011 the Detroit Free Press featured an article that stated as of March 30 that there were over 1000 tickets available from a third-party reseller, some at 15% less than the cheapest seats sold at the Fox Theater. ''The Huffington Post'' reports Sheen will earn $1 million this year from Twitter endorsements and $7 million from the North American tour. Many of those attending the April 2 performance in Detroit found it disappointing; the subsequent performance in Chicago, which featured some adjustments, received a more positive reception.

Sheen has taken up a new business venture as a partner in a line of electronic cigarettes. The "NicoSheen" product will feature the actor's signature smirk on packages of disposable E-cigarettes and related products.

On August 13, 2011, Sheen appeared as a host at the 12th annual Gathering of the Juggalos. He received a mixed reaction from the audience. Some cheered him, and some booed and threw things at him.

Personal life

Family and relationships

Sheen has been married three times and has five children. His first daughter, Cassandra Jade Estevez (b. December 12, 1984) was born to his former high school girlfriend, Paula Profit.

In 1990, Sheen accidentally shot his fiancee, Kelly Preston, in the arm. Preston broke off the engagement soon after.

In the 1990s, Sheen dated a number of adult film actresses, including Ginger Lynn and Heather Hunter.

On September 3, 1995, Sheen married Donna Peele. That same year, Sheen was named as one of the clients of an escort agency operated by Heidi Fleiss. Sheen and Peele divorced in 1996.

On June 15, 2002, two years after they met on the set of the movie ''Good Advice'', Sheen married actress Denise Richards. They have two daughters, Sam and Lola Sheen. In March 2005, Richards filed for divorce, accusing Sheen of alcohol and drug abuse and threats of violence. The divorce was finalized in November 2006 and preceded a custody dispute over their two daughters.

On May 30, 2008, Sheen married Brooke Mueller, who later gave birth to their twin sons, Bob and Max. In November 2010, Sheen filed for divorce. On March 1, 2011, police removed Bob and Max from Sheen's home. Sheen told NBC's ''Today'', "I stayed very calm and focused." According to ''People'', social services took the children after Mueller obtained a restraining order against Sheen. The document said, "I am very concerned that [Sheen] is currently insane." Asked if he would fight for the children, Sheen texted ''People'', "Born ready. Winning." Sheen and Mueller's divorce became final on May 2, 2011.

On March 1, 2011, Sheen was concurrently living with pornographic actress Rachel Oberlin and model and graphic designer Natalie Kenly, whom he collectively nicknamed his "goddesses". Oberlin left Sheen in April 2011, and Kenly left in June 2011.

Substance abuse and legal issues

On May 20, 1998, Sheen overdosed while using cocaine and was hospitalized. On August 11, 1998, Sheen, already on probation for a previous drug offense, had his probation extended for an extra year and entered a rehab clinic. In a 2004 interview, Sheen admitted that the overdose was caused by his experimentation with injecting cocaine.

On December 25, 2009, Sheen was arrested for assaulting his wife, Brooke Mueller. He was released the same day from jail after posting an $8,500 bond. Sheen was charged with felony menacing, as well as third-degree assault and criminal mischief. On August 2, 2010, Sheen pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault as part of a plea bargain that included dismissal of the other charges against him. Sheen was sentenced to 30 days in a drug rehab center, 30 days of probation, and 36 hours of anger management.

On October 26, 2010, the police removed Sheen from his suite at the Plaza Hotel after he reportedly caused $7,000 in damage. According to the NYPD, Sheen admitted to drinking and using cocaine the night of the incident. He was released after entering a hospital for observation.

Political views and activities

Charitable activities

Sheen was the 2004 spokesperson for the Lee National Denim Day breast cancer fundraiser that raised millions of dollars for research and education regarding the disease. Sheen stated that a friend of his died from breast cancer, and he wanted to try to help find a cure for the disease.

A major donor and supporter of Aid For AIDS since 2006, Sheen was honored with an AFA Angel Award, one of only a few ever given, at the nonprofit's 25th Silver Anniversary Reception in 2009. In addition to his financial support, he has volunteered to act as a celebrity judge for several years for their annual fundraiser, Best In Drag Show, which raises around a quarter of a million dollars each year in Los Angeles for AIDS assistance. He has brought other celebrities to support the event, including his father, actor Martin Sheen. Sheen's interest in AIDS was first reported in 1987 with his support of Ryan White, an Indiana teenager who became a national spokesperson for AIDS awareness after being infected with AIDS through a blood transfusion for his hemophilia.

On March 27, 2008, Sheen and Jenna Elfman co-hosted a New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project charity event.

Sheen is donating one dollar from each ticket sold from his “My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option Show” 2011 tour to the Red Cross Japanese Earthquake Relief Fund.

In 2011, Sheen took on a Twitter challenge by a grieving mother to help critically ill babies born with Congenital diaphragmatic hernia by supporting CHERUBS – The Association of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research, Awareness and Support.

September 11 attacks

On March 20, 2006, Sheen stated that he questions the U.S. Government's account of the September 11 attacks. He said during the interview that the collapse of the World Trade Center towers looked like a controlled demolition.

Sheen has since become a prominent advocate of the 9/11 Truth movement. On September 8, 2009, he appealed to President Barack Obama to set up a new investigation into the attacks. Presenting his views as a transcript of a fictional encounter with Obama, he was characterized by the press as believing the 9/11 Commission was a whitewash and that the administration of former President George W. Bush may have been responsible for the attacks.

Filmography

Films

''Money Talks'' ''Postmortem (1998 film) ''Lisa Picard is Famous'' ''Rated X (film) ''Good Advice'' ''The Making of Bret Michaels'' ''Scary Movie 3'' ''The Big Bounce (2004 film) ''Guilty Hearts'' ''Scary Movie 4'' ''Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps''

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Film	Role	Notes
1974	''The Execution of Private Slovik''	Kid at Wedding
1979	''Apocalypse Now''	Extra
	''Red Dawn''	Matt Eckert
''Silence of the Heart''	Ken Cruze
	''The Fourth Wise Man''	Captain (Herod's Soldiers)	TV-movie
	Man Shaving	CBS TV-movie
	Bo Richards
		Cappie
''Ferris Bueller's Day Off''	Garth Volbeck-Boy in Police Station
	Private Chris Taylor
''The Wraith ''	Jake Kesey
	Hamburger Restaurant Manager	Cameo
		Bud Fox
	Ted Varrick
''Three for the Road''	Paul
	Ron	Unreleasedfilmed in 1983
	''Never on Tuesday''	Thief	Uncredited Cameo
''Eight Men Out''
''Young Guns''		Bronze Wrangler Award
	''Tale of Two Sisters''	Narrator	Also writer (poems)
''Catchfire''	Bob	Cameo
		Pfc. Franklin Fairchild Bean
''Courage Mountain''	Peter
	Carl Taylor
	Lt. (j.g.) Dale Hawkins
	David Ackerman
1991	''Hot Shots!''	Lt. Sean Topper Harley
		William Patrick Steaner/Daniel "Dan" Saxon/Sid
''Oliver Stone: Inside Out''	Himself	Documentary
	''National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1''	Gern, Parking Valet
	Morgan "Fats" Gripp
''Hot Shots! Part Deux''	Lt. Sean Topper Harley
	Aramis
	''Charlie Sheen's Stunt Spectacular''	Himself	TV-movie
	Richard 'Ditch' Brodie
	Jackson Davis "Jack" Hammond	Also executive producer
''Major League II''	Ricky 'Wild Thing' Vaughn
		Barbie Loving Bartender	Cameo appearance
''Frame by Frame''
''All Dogs Go to Heaven 2''	Charles B. "Charlie" Barkin	Voice only
	Zane Zaminsky
rowspan="3"	1997	|	James Russell
''Shadow Conspiracy''	Bobby Bishop
''Bad Day on the Block''
rowspan="5"	1998	Postmortem'' ||	James McGregor
''A Letter from Death Row (film)	A Letter from Death Row''
''No Code of Conduct''	Jacob "Jake" Peterson
''Free Money (film)	Free Money''	Bud Dyerson
''Junket Whore''	Himself
rowspan="3"	1999	|	Himself
''Five Aces''	Chris Martin
''Being John Malkovich''	Himself
2000	Rated X'' ||	Artie Mitchell>Artie Jay "Art" Mitchell	Showtime (TV network)>Showtime TV-movie
rowspan="2"	2001	|	Ryan Edward Turner
''Last Party 2000''	Himself
2002	|	Himself	Documentary
2003	|	Tom Logan (character)>Tom Logan
rowspan="2"	2004	The Big Bounce'' ||	Bob Rogers Jr.
''Pauly Shore Is Dead''	Himself
2005	|	Charlie Sheen	Segment "Spelling Bee"
2006	|	Tom Logan (character)>Tom Logan	Uncredited Cameo
rowspan="2"	2010	|	Bud Fox	Uncredited Cameo
''Due Date''	Charlie Harper (Two and a Half Men)>Charlie Harper

Short films

''Comicits'' ''Deeper Than Deep'' ''Spelling Bee''

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Film	Role	Notes
1986	''A Life in the Day''
1989	|	Himself	Also producer
2003	|	Chuck Traynor>Charles "Chuck" E. Traynor
2004	|	Himself	From ''Guilty Hearts''

Television

''Friends'' ''Sugar Hill (TV pilot) ''Spin City'' ''Two and a Half Men'' ''Overhaulin''' ''The Big Bang Theory'' ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' ''Lopez Tonight'' ''Family Guy'' ''Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza'' ''Comedy Central Roast''

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	Amazing Stories (TV series)>Amazing Stories: Book Three''
1996	|	Ryan	Friends (season 2)#ep47>"The One with the Chicken Pox"
1999	Sugar Hill'' ||	Matt	Unsold pilot
2000–2002	|	Charlie Crawford	Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy (2002) Nominated – ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Series (2001) Nominated – ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Series (2002)
2003–2011	|	Charlie Harper (Two and a Half Men)>Charlie Harper	ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Television Series (2008) Nominated – Kids Choice Awards for Favorite Television Actor (2002) Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series (2005) Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy (2005) Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (2006) Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy (2006) Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor: Comedy (2008) Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (2008) Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series (2009)
2006	|	Himself	Episode: "LeMama's Boy"
2008	|	Himself	List of The Big Bang Theory episodes>"The Griffin Equivalency", cameo appearance
2009	|	Himself
2009	|	Himself
2010	|	Himself	Episode: "Brian Griffin's House of Payne"
2011	|	Himself	Episode 2 (in improv game "Fairy Tale")
2011	|	Himself (Roastee)

References

External links

Charlie Sheen: Life and Times – slideshow by ''Life magazine''

Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from California Category:Actors from New York City Category:American activists Category:American child actors Category:American film actors Category:American people convicted of assault Category:American people of Galician descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (television) winners Category:California Democrats Category:Estevez family Category:People from Santa Monica, California Category:People from Staten Island

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Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	David Letterman
pseudonym	Earl Hofert
birth date	April 12, 1947
birth place	Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
medium	Stand-up, talk show
nationality	American
genre	Observational comedy, surreal humor, deadpan
subject	Self-deprecation, everyday life
influences	Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, Jack Paar, Paul Dixon
influenced	Jimmy Kimmel, Jim Gaffigan, Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon
website	CBS.com/latenight/lateshow
active	1974–present
domesticpartner	Regina Lasko (1986-2009)
spouse	Michelle Cook (1969–1977)Regina Lasko (2009–present)
Religion	Lutheran
notable work	Host of ''Late Night with David Letterman'' (NBC)Host of ''Late Show with David Letterman'' (CBS)
signature	David Letterman Autograph.svg

}} David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, ''Late Show with David Letterman'', broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of ''Late Night with David Letterman'' on NBC. Letterman recently surpassed friend and mentor Johnny Carson for having the longest late-night hosting career in the United States.

Letterman is also a television and film producer. His company Worldwide Pants produces his show as well as its network follow-up ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''. Worldwide Pants has also produced several prime-time comedies, the most successful of which was ''Everybody Loves Raymond'', currently in syndication.

In 1996, David Letterman was ranked #45 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.

Early life and career

Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His father, Harry Joseph Letterman (April 1915 – February 1973), was a florist of British descent; his mother Dorothy Letterman (''née'' Hofert, now Dorothy Mengering), a Presbyterian church secretary of German descent, is an occasional figure on the show, usually at holidays and birthdays.

Letterman lived on the north side of Indianapolis (Broad Ripple area), not far from Speedway, IN, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and he enjoyed collecting model cars, including racers. In 2000, he told an interviewer for ''Esquire'' that, while growing up, he admired his father's ability to tell jokes and be the life of the party. Harry Joseph Letterman survived a heart attack at age 36, when David was a young boy. The fear of losing his father was constantly with Letterman as he grew up. The elder Letterman died of a second heart attack at age 57.

Letterman attended his hometown's Broad Ripple High School at the same time as Marilyn Tucker Quayle (wife of the former Vice President) and worked as a stock boy at the local Atlas supermarket. According to the ''Ball State Daily News'', he originally had wanted to attend Indiana University, but his grades weren't good enough, so he decided to attend Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana. He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, and he graduated from what was then the Department of Radio and Television, in 1969. A self-described average student, Letterman endowed a scholarship for what he called "C students" at Ball State.

Though he registered for the draft and passed his physical after graduating from college, he was not drafted for service in Vietnam due to receiving a draft lottery number of 352 (out of 365).

Letterman began his broadcasting career as an announcer and newscaster at the college's student-run radio station—WBST—a 10-watt campus station which now is part of Indiana Public Radio. He was fired for treating classical music with irreverence.

Letterman then became involved with the founding of another campus station—WAGO-AM 570 (now WWHI, 91.3).

Letterman credits Paul Dixon—host of the ''Paul Dixon Show'', a Cincinnati-based talk show also shown in Indianapolis while Letterman was growing up—for inspiring his choice of career: :"I was just out of college [in 1969], and I really didn't know what I wanted to do. And then all of a sudden I saw him doing it [on TV]. And I thought: That's really what I want to do!"

Weatherman

Letterman began his career as a radio talk show host on WNTS (AM), and on Indianapolis television station WLWI (now called WTHR) as a local anchor and weatherman. He received some attention for his unpredictable on-air behavior, which included congratulating a tropical storm for being upgraded to a hurricane and predicting hail stones "the size of canned hams." He would also occasionally report the weather and the day's very high and low temps for fictitious cities ("Eight inches of snow in Bingree and surrounding areas.") while on another occasion saying that a state border had been erased. ("From space you can see the border between Indiana and Ohio has been erased. I'm not in favor of this.") He also starred in a local kiddie show, made wisecracks as host of a late night TV show called "Freeze-Dried Movies" (he once acted out a scene from "Godzilla" using plastic dinosaurs), and hosted a talk show that aired early on Saturday mornings called "Clover Power," in which he interviewed 4-H members about their projects.

In 1971, Letterman appeared as a pit road reporter for ABC Sports' tape-delayed coverage of the Indianapolis 500. David is initially introduced as Chris Economaki in his job as a corner reporter. He interviews Mario Andretti who has just crashed out of the race and asks him a question about traffic on the course.

Move to Los Angeles

In 1975, encouraged by his then-wife Michelle and several of his Sigma Chi fraternity brothers, Letterman moved to Los Angeles, California, with hope of becoming a comedy writer. He started off by writing material for comedian Jimmie Walker. He also began performing stand-up comedy at The Comedy Store, a proving ground for unknown comics.

Letterman appeared in the summer of 1977 on the short-lived ''Starland Vocal Band Show''. He has since joked about how fortunate he was that nobody would ever see his performance on the program (due to its low ratings).

Letterman had a stint as a cast member on Mary Tyler Moore's variety show, ''Mary''; a guest appearance on ''Mork & Mindy'' (as a parody of EST leader Werner Erhard); and appearances on game shows such as ''The $20,000 Pyramid'', ''The Gong Show'', ''Password Plus'' and ''Liar's Club''. He also hosted a 1977 pilot for a game show entitled ''The Riddlers'' that was never picked up. He was also screen tested for the lead role in ''Airplane!'', a role that eventually went to Robert Hays.

His dry, sarcastic humor caught the attention of scouts for ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', and Letterman was soon a regular guest on the show. Letterman became a favorite of Carson's and was a regular guest host for the show beginning in 1978. Letterman credits Carson as the person who influenced his career the most.

NBC

Morning show

On June 23, 1980, Letterman was given his own morning comedy show on NBC, ''The David Letterman Show''. It was originally 90 minutes long, but was shortened to 60 minutes in August 1980. The show was a critical success, winning two Emmy Awards, but was a ratings disappointment and was canceled in October 1980.

''Late Night with David Letterman''

NBC kept Letterman under contract to try him in a different time slot. ''Late Night with David Letterman'' debuted February 1, 1982; the first guest on the first show was Bill Murray. Murray also guested on January 31, 2012 – 30 years later. The show ran Monday through Thursday at 12:30 a.m. Eastern Time, immediately following ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (a Friday night broadcast was added in June 1987. It was seen as being edgy and unpredictable, and soon developed a cult following (particularly among college students). Letterman's reputation as an acerbic interviewer was borne out in verbal sparring matches with Cher (who even called him an asshole on the show), Shirley MacLaine, Charles Grodin, and Madonna. The show also featured comedy segments and running characters, in a style heavily influenced by the 1950s and '60s programs of Steve Allen. Although Ernie Kovacs is often cited as an influence on the show, Letterman has denied this.

The show often featured quirky, genre-mocking regular features, including "Stupid Pet Tricks", dropping various objects off the roof of a five-story building, demonstrations of unorthodox clothing (such as suits made of Alka-Seltzer, Velcro and suet), a recurring Top 10 list, the Monkey-Cam (and the Audience Cam), and a facetious letter-answering segment. The Top 10 list, several "Film[s] by My Dog Bob" in which a camera was mounted on Letterman's own dog (often with comic results), Stupid Human Tricks, Small Town News, and Stupid Pet Tricks (which had its origins on Letterman's morning show) all eventually moved with Letterman to CBS.

Other memorable moments included Letterman using a bullhorn to interrupt a live interview on ''The Today Show'', announcing that he was the NBC president while not wearing any pants; interrupting Al Roker on WNBC-TV's broadcast of ''Live at Five'' by walking into their studio (which occupied the same floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza as Letterman's studio); and staging "elevator races", complete with commentary by NBC Sports' Bob Costas. In one infamous appearance, in 1982, Andy Kaufman (who was already wearing a neck brace) appeared to be slapped and knocked to the ground by professional wrestler Jerry Lawler (though Lawler and Kaufman's friend Bob Zmuda later revealed that the event was staged.) In another memorable exchange, sex expert Dr. Ruth Westheimer included cucumbers in a list of handy sex objects that women could find at home. The following night, guest Ted Koppel asked Letterman "May I insert something here?" and Dave responded "OK, as long as it's not a cucumber."

''Late Show with David Letterman''

In 1992, Johnny Carson retired, and many fans believed that Letterman would become host of ''The Tonight Show''. When NBC instead gave the job to Jay Leno, Letterman departed NBC to host his own late-night show on CBS, opposite ''The Tonight Show'' at 11:30 p.m., called the ''Late Show with David Letterman''. The new show debuted on August 30, 1993 and was taped at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater, where Ed Sullivan taped his eponymous variety series from 1948 to 1971. For Letterman's arrival, CBS spent $8 million in renovations. In addition to that cost, CBS also signed Letterman to a lucrative three-year, $14 million/year contract, doubling his ''Late Night'' salary. The total cost for everything (renovations, negotiation right paid to NBC, signing Letterman, announcer Bill Wendell, Shaffer, the writers and the band) was over $140 million.

But while the expectation was that Letterman would retain his unique style and sense of humor with the move, ''Late Show'' was not an exact replica of his old NBC program. Recognizing the more formal mood (and wider audience) of his new time slot and studio, Letterman eschewed his trademark blazer with khaki pants and white sneakers wardrobe combination in favor of expensive shoes, tailored suits and light-colored socks. The monologue was lengthened and Paul Shaffer and the "World's Most Dangerous Band" followed Letterman to CBS, but they added a brass section and were rebranded the "CBS Orchestra" as a short monologue and a small band were mandated by Carson while Letterman occupied the 12:30 slot. Additionally, because of intellectual property disagreements, Letterman was unable to import many of his ''Late Night'' segments verbatim, but he sidestepped this problem by simply renaming them (the "Top Ten List" became the "Late Show Top Ten", "Viewer Mail" became the "CBS Mailbag", etc.)

Popularity

The main competitor of ''The Late Show'' is NBC's ''The Tonight Show'', which was hosted by Jay Leno for nearly 16 years, but from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, was hosted by Conan O'Brien. In 1993 and 1994, ''The Late Show'' consistently gained higher ratings than ''Tonight''. But in 1995, ratings dipped and Leno's show consistently beat Letterman's in the ratings from the time that Hugh Grant came on Leno's show after Grant's arrest for soliciting a prostitute.; Leno typically attracted about 5 million nightly viewers between 1999 and 2009. ''The Late Show'' lost nearly half its audience during its competition with Leno, attracting 7.1 million viewers nightly in its 1993–94 season and about 3.8 million per night as of Leno's departure in 2009. In the final months of his first stint as host of ''The Tonight Show'', Leno beat Letterman in the ratings by a 1.3 million viewer margin (5.2 million to 3.9 million), and ''Nightline'' and ''The Late Show'' were virtually tied. Once O'Brien took over ''Tonight'', however, Letterman closed the gap in the ratings. O'Brien initially drove the median age of ''Tonight Show'' viewers from 55 to 45, with most older viewers opting to watch ''The Late Show'' instead.

Following Leno's return to ''The Tonight Show'', however, Leno has regained his lead.

Letterman's shows have garnered both critical and industry praise, receiving 67 Emmy Award nominations, winning 12 times in his first 20 years in late night television. From 1993–2009, Letterman ranked higher than Leno in the annual Harris Poll of ''Nation's Favorite TV Personality'' 12 times. For example, in 2003 and 2004 Letterman ranked second in that poll, behind only Oprah Winfrey, a year that Leno was ranked fifth. Leno was higher than Letterman on that poll three times during the same period, in 1998, 2007, and 2008.

Hosting the Academy Awards

On March 27, 1995, Letterman acted as the host for the 67th Academy Awards ceremony. Critics blasted Letterman for what they deemed a poor hosting of the Oscars, noting that his irreverent style undermined the traditional importance and glamor of the event. In a joke about their unusual names (inspired by a similar joke by Woody Allen), he started off by introducing Uma Thurman to Oprah Winfrey, and then both of them to Keanu Reeves: "Oprah...Uma. Uma...Oprah," "Have you kids met Keanu?" This and many of his other jokes fell flat. Although Letterman attracted the highest ratings to the annual telecast since 1983, many felt that the bad publicity garnered by Letterman's hosting caused a decline in the ''Late Show'''s ratings.

Letterman recycled the apparent debacle into a long-running gag. On his first show after the Oscars, he joked, "Looking back, I had no idea that thing was being televised." He lampooned his stint two years later, during Billy Crystal's opening Oscar skit, which also parodied the plane-crashing scenes from that year's chief nominated film, ''The English Patient''.

For years afterward, Letterman recounted his hosting the Oscars, although the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continued to hold Letterman in high regard and they had invited him to host the Oscars again. On September 7, 2010, he made an appearance on the premiere of the 14th season of ''The View'', and confirmed that he had been considered for hosting again.

Heart surgery hiatus

On January 14, 2000, a routine check-up revealed that an artery in Letterman's heart was severely obstructed. He was rushed to emergency surgery for a quintuple bypass.

During the initial weeks of his recovery, reruns of the ''Late Show'' were shown and introduced by friends of Letterman including Drew Barrymore, including Dr. O. Wayne Isom and physician Louis Aronne, who frequently appears on the show. In a show of emotion, Letterman was nearly in tears as he thanked the health care team with the words "These are the people who saved my life!" The episode earned an Emmy nomination. For a number of episodes, Letterman continued to crack jokes about his bypass, including saying, "Bypass surgery: it's when doctors surgically create new blood flow to your heart. A bypass is what happened to me when I didn't get ''The Tonight Show!'' It's a whole different thing." In a later running gag he lobbied his home state of Indiana to rename the freeway circling Indianapolis (I-465) "The David Letterman Bypass." He also featured a montage of faux news coverage of his bypass surgery, which included a clip of Dave's heart for sale on the Home Shopping Network. Letterman became friends with his doctors and nurses. In 2008, a ''Rolling Stone'' interview stated "he hosted a doctor and nurse who'd helped perform the emergency quintuple-bypass heart surgery that saved his life in 2000. 'These are people who were complete strangers when they opened my chest,' he says. 'And now, eight years later, they're among my best friends.' "

Additionally, Letterman invited the band Foo Fighters to play "Everlong", introducing them as "my favorite band, playing my favorite song." During a later Foo Fighters appearance, Letterman said that Foo Fighters had been in the middle of a South American tour which they canceled to come play on his comeback episode.

Letterman again handed over the reins of the show to several guest hosts (including Bill Cosby, Brad Garrett, Elvis Costello, John McEnroe, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Bonnie Hunt, Luke Wilson and bandleader Paul Shaffer) in February 2003, when he was diagnosed with a severe case of shingles. Later that year, Letterman made regular use of guest hosts—including Tom Arnold and Kelsey Grammer—for new shows broadcast on Fridays. In March 2007, Adam Sandler—who had been scheduled to be the lead guest—served as a guest host while Letterman was ill with a stomach virus.

Re-signing with CBS

In March 2002, as Letterman's contract with CBS neared expiration, ABC offered him the time slot for long-running news program ''Nightline'' with Ted Koppel. Letterman was interested as he believed he could never match Leno's ratings at CBS due to Letterman's complaint of weaker lead-ins from the network's late local news programs, but was reluctant to replace Koppel. Letterman addressed his decision to re-sign on the air, stating that he was content at CBS and that he had great respect for Koppel.

On December 4, 2006, CBS revealed that Letterman signed a new contract to host ''The Late Show with David Letterman'' through the fall of 2010. "I'm thrilled to be continuing on at CBS," said Letterman. "At my age you really don't want to have to learn a new commute." Letterman further joked about the subject by pulling up his right pants leg, revealing a tattoo, presumably temporary, of the ABC logo.

"Thirteen years ago, David Letterman put CBS late night on the map and in the process became one of the defining icons of our network," said Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Corporation. "His presence on our air is an ongoing source of pride, and the creativity and imagination that the ''Late Show'' puts forth every night is an ongoing display of the highest quality entertainment. We are truly honored that one of the most revered and talented entertainers of our time will continue to call CBS 'home.'"

According to a 2007 article in ''Forbes'' magazine, Letterman earned $40 million a year. A 2009 article in ''The New York Times'', however, said his salary was estimated at $32 million per year. In June 2009, Letterman's Worldwide Pants and CBS reached agreement to continue the ''Late Show'' until at least August 2012. The previous contract had been set to expire in 2010, and the two-year extension is shorter than the typical three-year contract period negotiated in the past. Worldwide Pants agreed to lower its fee for the show, though it had remained a "solid moneymaker for CBS" under the previous contract.

On the February 3, 2011, edition of the ''Late Show'', during an interview with Howard Stern, Letterman said he would continue to do his talk show for "maybe two years, I think."

2007–2008 writers' strike

The Late Show went off air for eight weeks during the months of November and December because of the Writers Guild of America strike. Letterman's production company—Worldwide Pants—was the first company to make an individual agreement with the WGA, thus allowing his show to come back on air on January 2, 2008. On his first episode since being off air, he surprised the viewing audience with his newly grown beard, which signified solidarity with the strike. His beard was shaved off during the show on January 7, 2008.

Letterman and Carson

In spite of Johnny Carson's clear intention to pass his title to Letterman, NBC selected Jay Leno to host ''The Tonight Show'' after Carson's departure. Letterman maintained a close relationship with Carson through his break with NBC. Three years after he left for CBS, HBO produced a made-for-television movie called ''The Late Shift'', based on a book by ''New York Times'' reporter Bill Carter, chronicling the battle between Letterman and Leno for the coveted ''Tonight Show'' hosting spot. Letterman would mock the film for months afterward, specifically on how the actor playing him, John Michael Higgins, did not resemble him in the least.

Carson later made a few cameo appearances as a guest on Letterman's show. Carson's final television appearance came May 13, 1994, on a ''Late Show'' episode taped in Los Angeles, when he made a surprise appearance during a 'Top 10 list' segment. The audience went wild as Letterman stood up and proudly invited Carson to sit at his desk. The applause was so protracted that Carson was unable to say anything, and he finally returned backstage as the applause continued (it was later explained that Carson had laryngitis, though Carson can be heard talking to Letterman during his appearance).

In early 2005, it was revealed that Carson still kept up with current events and late-night TV right up to his death that year, and that he occasionally sent jokes to Letterman, who used these jokes in his monologue; according to CBS senior vice president Peter Lassally (a onetime producer for both men), Carson got "a big kick out of it." Letterman would do a characteristic Johnny Carson golf swing after delivering one of Carson's jokes. In a tribute to Carson, all of the opening monologue jokes during the first show following Carson's death were written by Carson.

Lassally also claimed that Carson had always believed Letterman, not Leno, to be his "rightful successor." Letterman also frequently employs some of Carson's trademark bits on his show, including "Carnac the Magnificent" (with Paul Shaffer as Carnac), "Stump the Band" and the "Week in Review."

Letterman and Oprah Winfrey

On September 10, 2007, Letterman made his first appearance on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He shared pictures of his son and live-in girlfriend. The so-called feud between Letterman and Winfrey apparently ended in 2005 when Winfrey appeared on CBS's ''Late Show with David Letterman'' on December 2, in an event Letterman jokingly referred to as "the Super Bowl of Love". Winfrey had previously appeared on Letterman's show when he was hosting NBC's ''Late Night'' on May 2, 1989.

Winfrey and Letterman also appeared together in a Late Show promo that aired during CBS's coverage of Super Bowl XLI in February 2007, with the two sitting next to each other on the couch watching the game. Since the game was played between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears, the Indianapolis-born Letterman wears a Peyton Manning jersey, while Winfrey—who tapes her show in Chicago—is in a Brian Urlacher jersey. Three years later, during CBS's coverage of Super Bowl XLIV, the two appeared again, this time with Winfrey sitting on a couch between Letterman and Jay Leno. The appearance was Letterman's idea: Leno flew to New York City in an NBC corporate jet, sneaking into the Ed Sullivan Theater during the ''Late Show'''s February 4 taping wearing a disguise, meeting Winfrey and Letterman at a living room set created in the theater's balcony where they taped their promo.

Response to Internet death threat

On August 17, 2011, it was reported that a Muslim militant had posted a death threat against Letterman on a website frequented by Al-Qaeda supporters, calling on American Muslims to kill Letterman for making a joke about the death of an Al-Qaeda leader killed in a drone strike in Pakistan in June 2011. In his show on August 22, Letterman joked about the threat, saying "State Department authorities are looking into this. They're not taking this lightly. They’re looking into it. They're questioning, they're interrogating, there's an electronic trail — but everybody knows it's Leno."

Appearances in other media

Letterman appeared in issue 239 of the Marvel comic book ''The Avengers'', in which the title characters are guests on ''Late Night''. A parody of Letterman, named "David Endochrine," is gassed to death along with his bandleader named "Paul" and their audience in Frank Miller's ''The Dark Knight Returns''.

Letterman appeared in the pilot episode of the short-lived 1986 series "Coach Toast", and he appears with a bag over his head as a guest on Bonnie Hunt's ca. 1993 sitcom ''The Building''. He also appears in The Simpsons, as himself in a couch gag when The Simpsons find themselves (and the couch) in "Late Night with David Letterman." He had a cameo in the feature film ''Cabin Boy'', with Chris Elliott, who worked as a writer on Letterman's show. In this and other appearances, Letterman is listed in the credits as "Earl Hofert", the name of Letterman's maternal grandfather. He also appeared as himself in the Howard Stern biopic Private Parts as well as the 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic ''Man on the Moon'', in a few episodes of Garry Shandling's 1990s TV series ''The Larry Sanders Show'' and in "The Abstinence", a 1996 episode of the sitcom ''Seinfeld''. Letterman also made an uncredited appearance in the first episode of the third season of the sitcom The Nanny.

Letterman provided vocals for the Warren Zevon song "Hit Somebody" from ''My Ride's Here'', and provided the voice for Butt-head's father in the 1996 animated film ''Beavis and Butt-head Do America''.

In 2010, a documentary ''Dying to Do Letterman'' was released directed by Joke Fincioen and Biagio Messina featuring Steve Mazan, a stand up comic, who has cancer and wants to appear on the Letterman Show. The film won Best Documentary and Jury Awards at the Cinequest Film Festival. Steve Mazan published a same-titled book (full title, ''Dying to Do Letterman: Turning Someday into Today'' about his own saga.

Other projects

Worldwide Pants

Letterman started his own production company—Worldwide Pants Incorporated—which produced his show and several others, including ''Everybody Loves Raymond'', ''The Late Late Show'', and several critically acclaimed, but short-lived television series for Bonnie Hunt. Worldwide Pants also produced the dramedy program ''Ed'', which aired on NBC from 2000–2004. It was Letterman's first association with NBC since he left the network in 1993. During ''Ed's'' run, the star, Tom Cavanagh, appeared as a guest on ''The Late Show'' several times.

In 2005, Worldwide Pants produced its first feature film, ''Strangers with Candy'', which was a prequel to the Comedy Central TV series of the same title. In 2007, Worldwide Pants produced the ABC comedy series, ''Knights of Prosperity''.

Worldwide Pants made significant news in December 2007 when it was announced that Letterman's company had independently negotiated its own contract with the Writers Guild of America, East, thus allowing Letterman, Craig Ferguson, and their writers to return to work, while the union continued its strike against production companies, networks and studios who had not reached an agreement.

Record company

In late April 2010, several music industry websites reported that Letterman started a record label named Clear Entertainment/C.E. Music and signed his first artist, Runner Runner. Lucy Walsh announced on her MySpace page that she has been signed by Letterman and Clear Entertainment/C.E. Music and is working on her album.

Rahal Letterman Racing

Rahal Letterman Racing (RLR) is an auto racing team that currently races in the American Le Mans Series, and part-time in the Indy Racing League. It is co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal and Letterman himself, and is based in Hilliard, Ohio. The team won the 2004 Indianapolis 500 with driver Buddy Rice. Letterman was a pit reporter for ABC in the 1971 Indianapolis 500.

American Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming

American Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming is Letterman's private foundation. Through it, Letterman has donated millions of dollars to charities and other non-profits in Indiana and Montana, celebrity-affiliated organizations such as Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, universities such as Ball State, and other organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Salvation Army, and Doctors Without Borders.

Personal life

Marriages and long-term relationships

In 1969, Letterman married Michelle Cook; the marriage ended by divorce in 1977. He also had a long-term relationship with former head writer and producer on ''Late Night'', Merrill Markoe. Markoe was the mind behind several ''Late Night'' staples, such as "Stupid Pet/Human Tricks".

Letterman has a son, Harry Joseph Letterman (born on November 3, 2003), with Regina Lasko. Harry is named after Letterman's father. In 2005, police discovered a plot to kidnap Harry Letterman and ransom him for $5 million. Kelly Frank, a house painter who had worked for Letterman, was charged in the conspiracy.

Letterman and Lasko, who had been together since 1986, wed on March 19, 2009, during a quiet courthouse civil ceremony in Choteau, Montana, where he purchased a ranch in 1999. Letterman announced the marriage during the taping of his March 23 show, shortly after congratulating Bruce Willis for getting married the previous week. Letterman told the audience he nearly missed the ceremony because his truck became stuck in mud two miles from their house. The family resides in North Salem, New York, on a estate.

Stalking incident

Beginning in May 1988, Letterman was stalked by Margaret Mary Ray, a woman suffering from schizophrenia. She once stole his Porsche, repeatedly broke into his house, and camped out on his tennis court. Her exploits drew national attention, and Letterman occasionally joked about her behavior in his show, although never mentioning her name. After she committed suicide in 1998, Letterman told the ''New York Times'' that he had had great compassion for her, and publicly expressed sympathy.

Extortion attempt and revelation of affairs

On his October 1, 2009, show, Letterman announced that he had been the victim of an extortion attempt by someone threatening to reveal that he had had sex with several of his female employees, confirming the relationships. He stated that three weeks earlier (on September 9, 2009) someone had left a package in his car with material he said he would write into a screenplay and a book if Letterman did not pay him $2 million. Letterman said that he contacted the Manhattan District Attorney's office, ultimately cooperating with them to conduct a sting operation involving giving the man a phony check. Subsequently, Robert J. "Joe" Halderman, a producer of the CBS true crime journalism series ''48 Hours'', was arrested after trying to deposit the check. He was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury and pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted grand larceny on October 2, 2009. Eventually, on March 9, 2010, he pleaded guilty to this same felony and served a 6-month jail sentence, followed by probation and community service.

A central figure in the case and one of the women Letterman had had a sexual relationship with was his longtime personal assistant Stephanie Birkitt who often appeared with him in his show. She had also worked for ''48 Hours''. Until a month prior to the revelations she had shared a residence with Halderman, who allegedly had copied her personal diary and used it, along with private emails, in the blackmail package.

On October 3, 2009, a former CBS employee, Holly Hester, announced that she and Letterman had engaged in a year-long "secret" affair in the early 1990s while she was his intern and a student at New York University.

In the days following the initial announcement of the affairs and the arrest, several prominent women, including Kathie Lee Gifford, co-host of NBC's ''Today Show'', and NBC news anchor Ann Curry questioned whether Letterman's affairs with subordinates created an unfair working environment. A spokesman for Worldwide Pants said that the company's sexual harassment policy did not prohibit sexual relationships between managers and employees. According to business news reporter Eve Tahmincioglu, "CBS suppliers are supposed to follow the company's business conduct policies" and the CBS 2008 Business Conduct Statement states that "If a consenting romantic or sexual relationship between a supervisor and a direct or indirect subordinate should develop, CBS requires the supervisor to disclose this information to his or her Company's Human Resources Department..."

On October 5, 2009, Letterman devoted a segment of his show to a public apology to his wife and staff. Three days later, Worldwide Pants announced that Birkitt had been placed on a "paid leave of absence" from the ''Late Show''. On October 15, CBS News announced that the company's Chief Investigative Correspondent, Armen Keteyian, had been assigned to conduct an "in-depth investigation" into Halderman's blackmail of Letterman.

Awards and honors

Awards

In his capacities as either a writer, producer, performer, or as part of a writing team, Letterman is among the most nominated people in Emmy Award history with 52 nominations, winning two Daytime Emmys and five Primetime Emmys since 1981. His nomination record is second only to producer Jac Venza, who holds the record for the most Emmy nominations for an individual (57). Letterman has been nominated every year since 1984, when he first appeared on late night television as the host of ''Late Night with David Letterman.'' Additionally, he has won four American Comedy Awards. Letterman was the first recipient of the Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence at The Comedy Awards in 2011.

David Letterman Communication and Media Building

On September 7, 2007, Letterman visited his alma mater, Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, for the dedication of a communications facility named in his honor for his dedication to the university throughout his career as a comedian. The $21 million, David Letterman Communication and Media Building opened for the 2007 fall semester. It features state-of-the-art recording equipment and facilities. Thousands of Ball State students, faculty, and local residents welcomed Letterman back to Indiana. Letterman's emotional speech touched on his struggles as a college student and his late father, and also included the "top ten good things about having your name on a building", finishing with, "if reasonable people can put my name on a $21 million building, anything is possible."

At the same time, Letterman also received a Sagamore of the Wabash award given by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, which recognizes distinguished service to the state of Indiana.

References

External links

David Letterman's Feb. 24, 1978 appearance on ''90 Minutes Live''

Official ''Late Show'' biography

1999 article on Letterman from Salon.com

Tape of Letterman announcing affairs/extortion attempt on Late Show

Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:American entertainment industry businesspeople Category:American television talk show hosts Category:Ball State University alumni Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Indianapolis, Indiana television anchors Category:IndyCar Series team owners Category:People from Indianapolis, Indiana Category:Weather presenters

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