Editing David Letterman (section)

===Second signing with CBS ===
[[File:President Barack Obama with David Letterman 09-21-09.jpg|thumb|Letterman interviewing President [[Barack Obama]] in 2009]]
In March 2002, as Letterman's contract with CBS neared expiration, [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] offered him the time slot for long-running news program ''[[Nightline]]'' with [[Ted Koppel]]. Letterman was interested, as he believed he could never match Leno's ratings at CBS due to Letterman's complaint of weaker [[lead-in]]s from CBS's [[11 O'Clock News|late local news]] programs, but was reluctant to replace Koppel.<ref name="battle">{{cite news|last = Harris|first = R.|date = 2015-05-15|title = Remembering the Ted Koppel interview when his mask came off|url = https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/david-letterman-farewell-ted-koppel-2002-interview-1201499511|work = Variety|access-date = 2019-07-04|archive-date = 2019-07-04|df = mdy-all|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190704000022/https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/david-letterman-farewell-ted-koppel-2002-interview-1201499511}}</ref> He addressed his decision to re-sign on the air, stating that he was content at CBS and that he had great respect for Koppel.

On December 4, 2006, CBS revealed that Letterman signed a new contract to host ''Late Show with David Letterman'' through the fall of 2010. "I'm thrilled to be continuing on at CBS," said Letterman. "At my age you really don't want to have to learn a new commute."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.deseret.com/2006/12/8/19989757/scott-d-pierce-dave-will-outlast-jay| title=Dave will outlast Jay| date= December 8, 2006| first=Scott D.| last= Pierce| newspaper= Deseret News|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> Letterman further joked about the subject by pulling up his right pants leg, revealing a tattoo, presumably temporary, of the ABC logo.

"Thirteen years ago, David Letterman put CBS late night on the map and in the process became one of the defining icons of our network," said [[Leslie Moonves]], president and CEO of CBS Corporation. "His presence on our air is an ongoing source of pride, and the creativity and imagination that the ''Late Show'' puts forth every night is an ongoing display of the highest quality entertainment. We are truly honored that one of the most revered and talented entertainers of our time will continue to call CBS 'home.'"<ref>{{cite web |title=CBS Signs David Letterman as Host of the "Late Show" Through Fall 2010 |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20061204cbs04 |website=The Futon Critic |access-date=May 31, 2022 |date=December 4, 2006}}</ref>

According to a 2007 article in ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine, Letterman earned $40 million a year.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/53/07celebrities_David-Letterman_C8CO.html|title = #17 David Letterman|work = Forbes|date = June 14, 2007|access-date = August 26, 2017|archive-date = March 2, 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180302225717/https://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/53/07celebrities_David-Letterman_C8CO.html}}</ref> A 2009 article in ''[[The New York Times]]'', however, said his salary was estimated at $32 million.<ref name="nyt09carter" /> In June 2009, Letterman's Worldwide Pants and CBS reached an agreement to continue the ''Late Show'' until at least August 2012. The previous contract had been set to expire in 2010, and the two-year extension was shorter than the typical three-year contract period negotiated in the past.<ref name="nyt09carter">{{cite news| last=Carter |first=Bill |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/arts/television/10letterman.html |title=Letterman Reaches a Deal With CBS to Extend 'Late Show' |work= The New York Times |date=June 6, 2009 |access-date=May 15, 2011}}</ref> Worldwide Pants agreed to lower its fee for the show, though it had remained a "solid moneymaker for CBS" under the previous contract.<ref name="nyt09carter" />

On the February 3, 2011 edition of the ''Late Show'', during an interview with [[Howard Stern]], Letterman said he would continue to do his talk show for "maybe two years, I think."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/is-david-letterman-ready-to-be-done-with-the-late-show/story/25084.html |title=Is David Letterman Ready to be Done with the Late Show? |first=Seth |last=Abramovitch |date=February 4, 2011 |publisher=[[TV.com]] |quote=Dave tried valiantly to change the subject to Stern's new Sirius deal, rumored to be worth even more than the $500 million contract he signed with them in 2005. But once again, Stern (now 57) turned the tables on Dave (now 63), asking the host, "How much longer are you doing this?" To which Letterman replied: "Maybe two years, I think?" |access-date=June 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110416021903/http://www.tv.com/is-david-letterman-ready-to-be-done-with-the-late-show/story/25084.html |archive-date=April 16, 2011 }}</ref> In April 2012, CBS announced it had extended its contract with Letterman through 2014.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304023504577321670048071482 |title=CBS Extends Letterman Contract Through 2014 | author= Christopher S. Stewart | work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | date= April 3, 2012 | access-date=September 21, 2012}}</ref> His contract was subsequently extended to 2015.<ref name="New Contract">{{cite press release |url=http://www.cbscorporation.com/news-article.php?id=871 |title= CBS announces new contract extensions with late night stars David Letterman and Craig Ferguson through 2015 |publisher=CBS Corporation | date= April 3, 2012 |access-date= October 19, 2012}}</ref>