WME will represent Carson Entertainment Group in all areas. CEG controls the licensing rights to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, a library of archival footage from Carson’s 30 years as a late night host. WME and CEG are exploring opportunities for the material in television, film, stage and digital platforms. Carson’s nephew and CEG President Jeff Sotzing began an effort three years ago to digitize and catalog the entire Tonight Show library from 1962 to 1992 — over 3,300 hours of footage. Earlier this year, Sotzing and CEG launched a Facebook game and Carnac app with MediaMine, and they recently collaborated with filmmaker Peter Jones on his American Masters documentary King Of Late Night. In his career, Carson interviewed more than 22,000 guests and helped launch the careers of David Letterman, Ellen DeGeneres, Joan Rivers, Garry Shandling, Bette Midler, Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, and others.


It’s such a shame so little of that vast treasure is available to watch today. If all the episodes were available on DVD or online/cable or Netflix, I’d be watching all the time.
I don’t know if it’s unions or corporations wanting a big payoff that prevents the show’s availability, but it seems almost a crime for the shows to be locked away gathering dust as generations of Carson fans miss out.
Agreed, Kath.
There should be a Johnny Carson web channel with everything he produced streamable.
A worthwhile signing on WME’s part. Smart to sign a property with so much history and archivals that could easily be broken up in to their own individual assets, for sale to 3rd parties. Seems like the “new” WMA is thinking like the old WMA in terms of signing longer term properties and entities. Good. I guess even Emanuel has smartened up too !!!!