Letterman celebrates 30 years in late-night TV

NEW YORK (AP) - As David Letterman and Howard Stern can attest, a 30-year anniversary celebration is a ripe opportunity to cringe at geeky haircuts.

Letterman marked three decades in late-night TV on Wednesday on CBS by bringing Stern, one of his favorite guests, onto his "Late Show." They congratulated each other on age improving their looks.

Then Letterman proved it, displaying a picture of them from when Stern first appeared on the then-NBC show in May 1984. Letterman had a bushy head of hair. Stern had a mustache.

Letterman said about Stern's old picture: "It looks like a guy who was on to talk about a career of writing bad checks."

Stern advised burning the picture but recalled how grateful he had been for the invite.

"Back then, the fact that you asked me to be on a national television show was mind-blowing to me," he said.

Letterman also brought some of his long-time employees onstage to present the "Top Ten Things Staffers Would Like to Say to Dave on his 30th Anniversary in Late Night."

One of the cleanest, and most succinct, entries came from veteran executive producer Rob Burnett: "You're incompetent."

The "Late Show with David Letterman" airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. Eastern time.