The day after David Letterman announced his impending retirement and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s plea to CBS to move the show to Los Angeles, New York is hitting back.
In a letter to CBS boss Les Moonves, New York City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito asked that the show remain in the Big Apple.
See video: 17 Outrageous David Letterman Late Night Moments
“New York City has always been the home of ‘The Late Show,’” she wrote. “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.”
Mark-Viverito’s request is a seeming response to Garcetti’s plea, a move certainly meant to bring attention to the increasing problem of television and film productions leaving Los Angeles, a trend Garcetti has vowed to turn around.
Also read: NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Letterman: Top 10 Reasons He’s a Legend
The push and pull between late night shows and the cities they’re taped in goes hand-in-hand with late show changes of guard. This year, NBC’s “Tonight Show” moved from Burbank, Calif. to New York City in the handoff from Jay Leno to Jimmy Fallon.
Read the letter below.
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
James Crugnale contributed to this article.