Doug Kolk, entertainment reporter for Tribune’s Los Angeles CW affiliate KTLA, was doing live hits promoting the second coming of the “Arsenio Hall Show” outside the show’s studios when Arsenio himself appeared from a side entrance.
Arsenio seemed very excited that he had arrived just as Kolk was on live with Cleveland FOX affiliate WJW since he’s from Cleveland.
“Let me tell you something,” Hall said to Tracy McCool and Bill Martin. “A lot of people leave Cleveland and they don’t have a sense of pride. I took the bark with me ya’ll.” said Hall referring to his naming of a section of his show’s audience the “Dog Pound” as a salute to the hometown Cleveland Browns. “I’m not going to South Beach. I love ya’ll and I’m never letting anybody forget that I’m from Cleveland.”
According to Variety, Hall’s Monday night debut showed some promise in the ratings. The show is shown on the 17 Tribune Broadcasting stations including KTLA, WGN in Chicago and WPIX in New York.
Variety reports “Arsenio” beat all late night challengers on the broadcast networks with a 1.0 rating/4 share in adults 18-49 and a 1.2/5 share with adults 25-54 in Nielsen’s markets with Local People Meters. In New York, “The Arsenio Hall Show” scored a 1.64/with 4 share making it the number one late night talker in the market in adults 18-49 (1.2 rating) and 25-54 (1.5).