ARTICLE FROM mercurynews.com (Click here for full article)

Some of you may be too young to remember “The Arsenio Hall Show”. The program ran from 1989 to 1994. It was a successful program led by the comic Hall.

“The Arsenio Hall Show” gave many hip-hop artists and groups a national stage to perform and also politicians and major Hollywood stars. Many folks in the inner city did not watch “The Tonight Show” or David Letterman, they watched Hall’s program to see what star would be on his show.

Arsenio made a point to have a stage and a place on the couch to talk for African Americans and people of color. For that, he got negative press from the “majority” media. Why I don’t understand at all. Maybe that is why he departed his show in 1994 to move on to do different things with his career. Arsenio made plenty of money. Some say today he is worth about $12 million.

But now Hall has decided to return to the late night talk show wars. Older of course but maybe wiser. And I am glad he is returning. TBS tried a late night show with comic George Lopez. In my opinion it was a very good show and he like Arsenio gave plenty of minority acts a chance to perform. He was the first Latino with a late night show. But because of ratings the show was cancelled after two years. I don’t feel TBS promoted “The George Lopez Show” like they promoted Conan O’Brien new show.

Anyway I look forward to the new late night program starring Hall late next year.  Gordon Curvey