European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 30, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes Friday september 30, 1977 Herere s Johnny Carson is beginning his 16th years the Host of Abc s tonight show los Angeles a Johnny Carson is winding up 15 years As the Host of Abc s tonight show and is looking Forward to the next Well who knows i remember backstage the first night i did the show. I asked my manager what am i getting into " Carson said. He said the time will go by fast. Soon five years will pass. Then 10 years. We All laughed. No one would have bet any Money in 1962 that i d still be doing the show in1977. Not even  Carson took Over the tonight show from Jack Paar oct. 1,1962. It was Well known at that time that i was following a very emotional and controversial figure he said. I suppose every one was waiting to see what would  Carson whose experience up to that time had been largely limited to game shows took a show so closely identified with Paar and quickly built it into his own image of a comedian with a Devilish Boyish Charm. At More than $1 million a year he is television s highest paid enter Tainer. Carson who will be 52 on oct. 23, now has Gray hair and lines on his face but the Boyish Charm still clings to him like the California Tan acquired when he moved the show from new York five years ago. He was to celebrate his anniversary on Friday sept. 30, with a two hour show Fea Turing film clips of memorable moments from the past 15 years. How much longer will he stay i really Haven t Given much thought to it he said in his office while preparing his monologue for that night s show. Obviously i m not going to do it another 10 years. Probably not even five years. You give up the show when the Audi ence is no longer there or when you get bored. I d give it up if i was third in the rat Ings. But we re still on top and it s still  he said this is what television started out to be. It s spontaneous. We re on the same Day we tape. We can be topical. We can pick up on something in the news. Other shows can t do that in recent years speculation has been Rife growing with Carson s frequent absences from the show that he would quit or be replaced. He said i be been in this business Long enough to know that rumours Fly All the time. I hear we re moving Back to new York. I hear this person is going to replace me. The fact is that Abc has come to me to renegotiate my contract to continue on the show. I Don t think they d do that if they closed out of Market had somebody in the bullpen ready to go. I think when you hear some name mentioned the talk really originates in the Camp of the person being talked about. I be heard Don Rickles mentioned Chevy Chase Steve Martin. Yes i be heard Tom Snyder mentioned too. But this is not Tom s bag. Not that Tom does t do a Good show on to Morrow but he s not a performer and he s not a comedian Carson has been criticized for taking too much time off from the shows. His con tract Calls for 14 weeks vacation a year and one Day off every week. I really Don t defend it any More he said. I Don t think it needs defending. Last year i did 140 shows. I did 140 ninety minute shows. When i started i got Only six weeks off a year. I worked five nights a week and the show was then on an hour and 45 minutes. If i did t have the time off 1 would t be doing the show any More. It s that  he said if i did a different kind of show maybe. If i did t do a monologue if i did t do the comedy bits. But when you do that you can t do it five nights a week week in week out. If i was on that much people would probably get tired off me. We do More time on this show in a month than other shows do in a year. Variety shows finish taping in february. Nobody says hey How come you re not working Carson said he spends part of his off Johnny Carson. Ready for More Zenith says . Fails to curb Japan trading Chicago a the chairman of Zenith radio corp., which plans to Termi Nate 5,000 . Workers in favor of Over seas television Assembly operations charged wednesday that the Federal government has failed to act against what he termed International Trade violations by japanese television makers. We have produced documented Evi Dence to indicate that television receivers imported from Japan that sell for $295 in the United states Are not available in Japan at a Price below $550," Zenith chair Man John j. Nevin said at a news Confer ence. We re closed out of that Market Nevin said. That s dumping and it s contrary to every International Trade  Nevin said it was tragic that the work Force reduction announced tuesday would hit hard at Black and hispanic workers at its Plant in Chicago. He also said it was tragic for the communities of Paris 111., and Watsontown pa., where Zenith is the Only major employer. Under the plan Zenith will Transfer much of its television module Board and Chassis Assembly Plant operations to plants in Mexico and Taiwan. Parts to be assembled will be manufactured As they Are now in the . And abroad and then shipped to the new plants for Assembly. Nevin said he decided on the move at the Start of the summer when he saw figures show Reg that the average employee in Chi Cago receives $6 an hour for 2,000 hours of work a year compared to $1 an hour for the same amount of work overseas. Counting shipping costs to Assembly plants he said the Cost reduction will be about $5,000 per worker a year. The problem is not sales Nevin  problem is  the move came after a flurry of Pur chases of foreign steel by . Companies with resulting layoffs in that Industry. Time playing Las vegas or doing concerts. But no movies for him despite the scripts that pour  have no time Fotr them he said. Movies Are hard work. Having been in television All Rny life i like the immediate feedback from an audience. You Don t get that in the movies. On television in night clubs and in concerts you get that immedi ate reaction. That s what stimulates  Carson said this is it. This is the big Gest Challenge in the world. You reach Mil Lions of people a night. It s television like it should  said the show has changed Over the years As he matured and his Confidence grew. I have More attitude to do  asked about the occasional sex that pops up on the show he said i Don t know what that  later he said i would rather use the word maturity when we walkabout  he said i watched soap and it was so sophomoric. It reminded me of a College play. I think it was a super hype for an in funny show. If you re going to Deal with sex Why not do it Well. Soap is not going to corrupt the nation. I just Don t think it Svery amusing. Sure we have More latitude today. But i Don t think that gives you License. You can t do something just because it s outrageous. What s proper really depends on who you ask. Everyone has a  Carson said what i do is go by my gut instinct and use what i think is in Good taste. I May be wrong sometimes. I know when you Deal in comedy there is Little you can do without offending  ? j muscular dystrophy association the muscular dystrophy association is dedicated to finding the cure for neuromuscular disease while providing the Best available medical care free to patients and families. Nak someone Happy through 1978 Dod combined Federal Campaign overseas area 1978 National health a agencies International service agencies american red Cross this is a stars and stripes Public service advertisement