This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In an installment of the "Late Show" that will air tonight (10:35 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2), David Letterman announces that he will be retiring in 2015.
It's a day I never thought would come. He's the longest-running late-night host in TV history, surpassing his mentor, Johnny Carson. (Carson hosted "The Tonight Show" for 30 years; Letterman will have a combined 33 years as host of "Late Night" and "Late Show.")
It's too early to write the tribute. It's even a little bit too early to start speculating about who will succeed him.
But not only was Letterman the first guy to make the post-"Tonight Show" time slot a talk-show success (with all due apologies to Tom Snyder), but Letterman was the first guy to establish a truly successful alternative to "Tonight" on another network.
And he outlasted Jay Leno. Which is also a subject for another time.
Right now, I'm just grateful that I've been able to watch Letterman for most of my life. Thanks, Dave!