ABC - FORMER TALK SHOW HOST LES CRANE DEAD AT 74

Les Crane, who completely revamped the look of the late-night television show by having the audience surround the set and then wading into the audience for comments about the opinions of his guests, died Sunday in Greenbrae, CA at age 74. The cause of death was not disclosed. His ABC show, which went on the air in November 1964 opposite Johnnie Carson's Tonight show on NBC, introduced mainstream American to the opinions of men regarded as radical thinkers of the day, including singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, UC Berkeley student rebel Mario Savio, civil rights leader Robert Kennedy, rock performers The Rolling Stones, and Sen. Robert Kennedy. The program failed to make an impression in the ratings, however. After returning to the air as a radio disc jockey in the late '60s and having a surprise recording hit with a reading of Desiderata in 1971, Crane left broadcasting and founded the successful computer software company Toolworks.

15/07/2008