I was working at a CBS affiliate at the time, and I was thrilled the network was jumping back in to the late night game, and in a big way. A stronger network delivers more eyeballs to local programming.
Letterman was funny and edgy. Fresh and different.
Jay Leno was a fantastic stand up comedian, and a great talk show guest, but a lousy interviewer. His "Tonight" show was more of that slimey, smarmy Hollywood pap.
I thought NBC made a huge mistake when it picked Leno over Letterman to replace Johnny Carson. In retrospect, NBC did the right thing. First, it was a better financial deal for NBC. Once Jay found his footing, he wore well, more comfortable to watch than Dave. Letterman's edge and snark was part of his charm, but he was difficult to watch at times. There were more than a few nights when Dave just didn't seem to want to be there.
Having said that, when Letterman was firing on all cylinders, there was none better. Brilliant, I dare say. He was genuine. The shows just before his 2015 retirement were especially good. The Christmas shows, throughout the years, are classics. The show without an audience during Hurricane Sandy was amazing. The broadcast after 9/11 hit all the right notes, and that wasn't easy.
It has been said Letterman won the critics, but Leno won the ratings.
For me, the choice was always clear.
Dave.
