WHO CARES ABOUT LETTERMAN'S AFFAIRS?

These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."

29% Now More Likely To Turn Off Letterman

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Twenty-nine percent (29%) of Americans say they are less like to watch CBS' "Late Night with David Letterman" following the talk show host's admission that he has had affairs with women who work on the show.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that five percent (5%) say that Letterman's disclosure of sexual misbehavior makes them more likely to watch the show, but 63% say it has no impact on their viewing decisions.

Interestingly, there is little disagreement between men and women on the question.

Forty-two percent (42%) of adults still have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Letterman, but that's down eight points from May. Forty-six percent (46%) view him unfavorably. Fourteen percent (14%) have a very favorable view of the late night host, while 24% regard him very unfavorably, up six points from the earlier survey. Thirteen percent (13%) don't have an opinion.

Letterman's new negatives are actually a very slight improvement over his numbers in mid-June after he made an off-color joke on air about Sarah Palin's teenage daughter. Sixty-four percent (64%) of Americans said at the time that it's inappropriate for comedians like Letterman to joke about the children of public figures.

So far at least Letterman's latest brush with controversy doesn't appear to have impacted viewing habits very much. Given the choice of four top late night shows, 18% still say they would watch Letterman's program, down three points from late May.

Letterman is helped by the fact that most Americans aren't paying much attention to the scandal so far. Forty-eight percent (48%) say they are following the latest Letterman story at least somewhat closely, with 17% following very closely. Fifty-two percent (52%) are not following it closely, including 19% who aren't pay attention to it at all.

A survey last December found that 44% of adults rarely or never watch late-night talk shows. Forty-one percent (41%) watched them about once a week. Only 13% said they viewed them every night or nearly every night.

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