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POWER IN Media/TV Broadcasting: Jay Leno
Comedian/ Talk Show Host/ Producer/Writer
By: Andrew Fiouzi

With a name that is synonymous with entertainment, Jay Leno has used his ability to make people laugh as a tool for change.  Host of The Tonight Show from 1992 to 2009, Jay Leno has become the top rated and most watched nightly show in America.  After Leno took over The Tonight Show from Johnny Carson, many believed that the shoes were too big for any other man to fill.  However, Leno soon made it clear that his face would be the image of late night television.  Leno says that, “You can't stay mad at somebody who makes you laugh,” and in his case someone that makes you laugh a lot.  Although currently Leno is no longer the host of The Tonight Show, because of his outstanding ratings and popular appeal, he returns to television on September 14, 2009 as host of The Jay Leno Show on NBC. The show will be the first-ever entertainment program stripped across primetime on broadcast network television and will showcase many of the features that have made Leno America's late-night leader for more than a dozen years. “It just seems like after 17 years of being on ‘The Tonight Show,’ it’s fun to try something different,” stated Leno.

As he was recently named America’s Favorite TV Personality by the 2009 Harris Poll, Leno continues to keep in touch with people by shaking hands and getting “one-on-one” time with audiences all over the country, whether he takes the stage at a small club or at his weekly shows in Vegas. Perhaps this is why he continues to exude the "everyman" style and personality that have helped him earn millions of fans worldwide. He has been touted as one of the nicest people in show business and undeniably the hardest working -- a winning tandem for the man who says: "Anyone can have a life - careers are hard to come by!"

Although he is most famous for his interviewing and comedic skills, Leno is also an avid car enthusiast. His collections include more than 50 sports and antique cars and motorcycles of various international marques spanning from the early 1900s to modern times. Leno’s other passion is taking his various vehicles out for a spin, and more importantly, parading them for many publicity photos and charitable organizations.  In fact, in 2001, Jay Leno managed to get $360,000 for one Harley-Davidson motorcycle (that was signed by various celebrities) in an effort to raise money for the 9/11 victims. The sale did so well that he sold another bike in 2004 for the Indian Ocean Earthquake victims (raising over $800,000), and again in 2004 for the Hurricane Katrina survivors (raising more than $1 million). In 2001, Leno and his wife Mavis also contributed $100,000 to the Feminist Majority's campaign to stop gender apartheid in Afghanistan and to educate the public regarding the plight of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

It is clear that Jay Leno has not only created a name for himself as a funny guy, and an influential comedian, but also he has established himself as an individual with strong morals.  His dedication to making others laugh is only the beginning of Leno’s true ability, for time and time again, he has shown his aptitude to establish hope in the form of a few chuckles. “If you think of life as like

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