Slugging it out over the late-night desks: CBS is hoping to make its dethroning of Leno by Letterman permanent; NBC says it's coming back; ABC remains strong with Koppel's 'Nightline.' (Jay Leno; David Letterman, Ted Koppel)

Broadcasting & Cable, December, 1993 by Coe, Steve

CBS is hoping to make its dethroning of Leno by Letterman permanent; NBC says it's coming back; ABC remains strong with Koppel's 'Nightline'

In late night, whether at 11:30 p.m. or 12:30 a.m., David Letterman remains

the top choice of night owls.

Nearly four months after moving to a new network and time period, David Letterman continues to be the most viewed late-night talk show host on television. Through the week of Nov. 21, The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS is leading NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno by more than a rating point in season-to-date numbers.

Even with Letterman's immediate success at 11:30 and on a new network, perhaps the biggest surprise in the late-night talk show battle is the emergence and...

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