In those long-ago days, ABC and CBS had their offices on Sixth Avenue (now known as Avenue of the Americas), NBC, the peacock network, was then and is now at Rockefeller Center in the very heart of town and Dumont, later to become Metromedia, was located almost out of the business district on east 67th Street.
There were no TV studios in Los Angeles and all programming - and all of the TV stars - lived and worked in New York.
That was certainly true for the very first talk show hosts.
Beginning in the early 1950s, CBS hired a soft-talking Indianan by the name of Herb Shriner.
He would sit on a chair by a small desk and amiably interview celebrity guests.
He may have been the first, but he was by no means the last.
The first breakout star in the talk show business was a performer named Jack Paar.
Older readers may remember him for his somewhat "off-the-cuff" style, his clever banter with guests and his ability to keep his one-hour show fluid, fast-moving and entertaining.
Paar may have been the "model" for all who followed him, like the multi-talented and always-laughing young Steve Allen.
A prolific songwriter, Steve Allen also was very funny as a talk show host, forever giggling out loud along with his guests and also in the silly, but often hilarious, skits that took place on every show which also included his legendary "Man In The Street" interviews with Don Knotts, Tom Poston and others.
And then there was Ernie Kovacs.
Often referred to as a creative genius and a man who was way ahead of his time, Kovacs, who was married to Edie Adams, had audiences laughing with him as he performed his often wacky, but inspired, skits and when he interviewed his guests, as well.
Sadly, he died prematurely in an automobile accident.
The "king of all talk show hosts" followed Steve Allen to NBC.
He was, of course, Johnny Carson.
There were many who competed with him, many more who have followed, but none have ever matched his greatness as a talk show host.
He had a remarkable ability to connect with his audience, in the studio and at home, that made him immensely popular for about thirty years.
It's probably fair to say that Carson's amazing achievement will never be duplicated.
He was, and always will be, the greatest talk show host of all time.
There were no TV studios in Los Angeles and all programming - and all of the TV stars - lived and worked in New York.
That was certainly true for the very first talk show hosts.
Beginning in the early 1950s, CBS hired a soft-talking Indianan by the name of Herb Shriner.
He would sit on a chair by a small desk and amiably interview celebrity guests.
He may have been the first, but he was by no means the last.
The first breakout star in the talk show business was a performer named Jack Paar.
Older readers may remember him for his somewhat "off-the-cuff" style, his clever banter with guests and his ability to keep his one-hour show fluid, fast-moving and entertaining.
Paar may have been the "model" for all who followed him, like the multi-talented and always-laughing young Steve Allen.
A prolific songwriter, Steve Allen also was very funny as a talk show host, forever giggling out loud along with his guests and also in the silly, but often hilarious, skits that took place on every show which also included his legendary "Man In The Street" interviews with Don Knotts, Tom Poston and others.
And then there was Ernie Kovacs.
Often referred to as a creative genius and a man who was way ahead of his time, Kovacs, who was married to Edie Adams, had audiences laughing with him as he performed his often wacky, but inspired, skits and when he interviewed his guests, as well.
Sadly, he died prematurely in an automobile accident.
The "king of all talk show hosts" followed Steve Allen to NBC.
He was, of course, Johnny Carson.
There were many who competed with him, many more who have followed, but none have ever matched his greatness as a talk show host.
He had a remarkable ability to connect with his audience, in the studio and at home, that made him immensely popular for about thirty years.
It's probably fair to say that Carson's amazing achievement will never be duplicated.
He was, and always will be, the greatest talk show host of all time.