Conan O'Brien Dominates Late Night Television

Jay Leno's successor, Conan O'Brien, has made "The Tonight Show" America’s #1 late night TV program in the following key demographics - men and women aged 18 to 34, 18 to 49, and 25 to 54. David Letterman's "Late Show" is taking the backseat, with ratings nearly 80% lower than those produced by "The Tonight Show." Conan inherited the Tonight-Show thrown from Leno late last month, and has done a great job boosting NBC's late night television ratings.

Why are Letterman's ratings failing? It couldn't have anything to do with a weak celebrity guest lineup, as Julia Roberts and Howard Stern were among the stars to visit his studio last week. Following the controversy with Governor Palin, "Late Show" ratings were briefly up... but they never surpassed "The Tonight Show." Perhaps Americans are simply ready for something new. Jay Leno bowed-out, leaving Letterman to battle a fresher, younger comedian.

According to Nielsen Media's online ratings, Conan attracted more than 2 million viewers on average, while Letterman drew about 1.25 million.