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THE HARRIS POLL 1994 #43 For Release: Monday July 11, 1994

OPRAH WINFREY RETAINS HER BIG LEAD AS NATION'S MOST POPULAR HOST

David Lettennan jumps up from fifrh to second on list. Nobody else comes close.

For the third year in a row, is by far the most popular talk show host. Not only do more people watch her than watch anyone else, she receives many more votes (27%) as the talk show host people like to watch, more than the next two most popular hosts, (15 %) and the team of and Kathy Lee Gifford (7 %), combined. The other big winner in this year's Harris Poll about talk show hosts is David Letterman. Last year, 8 % picked him as their favorite and he ranked fifth. In this year's poll, almost twice as many (15%) choose him. Several people are clustered close together in the third through eighth place with 7% to 5% votes -- Regis Philbin and Kathy Lee Gifford, Ted Koppel, Phil Donohue, Jay Leno, , and Monte1 Williams. , who was not included in last year's poll, comes in ninth place with a 4% vote, along with Arsenio Hall. There are big differences between men and women. While Oprah dominates the women's vote (38%), David Letterman is the clear winner among men, of whom 23 % pick him as their favorite. David Letterman is also the clear winner among the highest income group. Among those with household incomes of more than $50,000, he is favored by 27% compared to 21 % who prefer Oprah. Jay Leno and Ted Koppel also do better among the more affluent households.

Humphrey Taylor is the Chainnan and CEO of Louis Harris and Associates, Inc.

Louis Harris & Associates 630 Fifth Avenue NYC (212) 698-9697 TABLE 1

WHO PEOPLE WATCH

"Do you sometimes watch the following on T.V., or not?"

1992 1993 1994 % % % Oprah Winfrey 64 59 5 8 52 48 46 David Letterman 40 29 41 Ted Koppel NA NA 38 Sally Jesse Raphael NA 40 3 7 Geraldo Rivera 46 39 35 Jay Leno 32 26 33 Regis Philbin and Kathy Lee Gifford NA 3 5 32 Arsenio Hall 43 34 30 Monte1 Williams NA 28 28 NA NA 23 3 1 23 19 Ricki Lake NA NA 19 Bertice Berry NA NA 13 Rolonda Watts NA NA 13 Charlie Rose NA 5 5

NA =not asked TABLE 2

MOST POPULAR TALK SHOW HOST

NOTE: As more people were included in the list this year, the trend (in percentages) from previous years may be affected. TABLE 3

MOST POPULAR TALK SHOW HOSTS BY SEX AND (HIGHER) INCOMES

All Men Women $35,000- $50,001& $50,000 Over % % % % %

Oprah Winfrey 27 13 3 8 25 2 1 David Letterman 15 23 9 18 27 Regis Philbin & Kathy Lee Gifford 7 3 10 4 7 Phil Donahue 6 7 5 9 3 Jay Leno 6 9 4 7 9 Ted Koppel 6 8 4 6 9 Geraldo Rivera 5 7 3 3 3 Monte1 Williams 5 5 5 6 5 Arsenio Hall 4 3 5 3 1 Ricki Lake 4 6 2 3 1 Sally Jesse Raphael 3 2 4 3 1 Larry King 3 5 2 5 5 METHODOLOGY

This Harris Poll was conducted by telephone within the United States between May 23 and 26, among a nationwide cross section of 1,253 adults. Figures for age, sex, race, education and number of adults in the household were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

In theory, with a sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (non- response), question wording and question order, interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is difficult or impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors.

This statement conforms to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

Contact Louis Harris and Associates, Inc., Information Services, 630 Fifth Avenue, , N.Y. 1011 1, (212) 698-9697, for complete demographic details for the questions in this release.

COPYRIGHT 1993 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC. ISSN 0895-7983