As media franchises go, they don’t get much bigger than “College GameDay” and “The Late Show.” 

This past week, “The Late Show” marked its 32nd anniversary from the CBS-owned Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. The program began in 1993, with David Letterman moving over from NBC. The first episode featured Bill Murray and Billy Joel. Paul Shaffer’s house band was renamed The CBS Orchestra: a step up from their previous moniker of the World’s Most Dangerous Band.  The previous CBS Orchestra had been the ensemble featured on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” which was telecast from that same theater from 1948-1971. 

Michael Bird is assistant professor of music at Faulkner University