letterman-retiring-460.jpgCBS

David Letterman, 66, announced his plans to retire at a taping for The Late Show on Thursday in New York City. Letterman, who is the longest-serving late-night talk show host in TV history, told the audience his last show will take air in 2015.

Letterman started off his career as a stand-up comedian in the late 1970s, he got a morning show by 1980, and he began his late night career in 1982 on Late Night with David Letterman on NBC. In 1993, Letterman was famously bumped off the schedule for The Tonight Show, so he moved to CBS to host The Late Show with David Letterman after Jay Leno was hired to replace Johnny Carson on NBC.

According to a transcript issued by his PR rep, Letterman said:
    "The man who owns this network, Leslie Moonves, he and I have had a relationship for years and years and years, and we have had this conversation in the past, and we agreed that we would work together on this circumstance and the timing of this circumstance. And I phoned him just before the program, and I said ‘Leslie, it’s been great, you’ve been great, and the network has been great, but I’m retiring.' I just want to reiterate my thanks for the support from the network, all of the people who have worked here, all of the people in the theater, all the people on the staff, everybody at home, thank you very much. What this means now, is that Paul [Shaffer] and I can be married."


Ha! We're gonna miss him!