Editing Ed Sullivan (section)

{{Short description|American host and columnist (1901–1974)}}
{{About|Ed Sullivan, the person|his TV show|The Ed Sullivan Show|other uses|Edward Sullivan (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox person
 | image            = Ed Sullivan.jpg
 | caption          = Sullivan in 1955
 | birth_name       = Edward Vincent Sullivan
 | birth_date       = {{birth date|1901|9|28}}
 | birth_place      = New York City, U.S.
 | death_date       = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|1974|10|13|1901|9|28}}
 | death_place      = New York City, U.S.
 | burial_place     = [[Ferncliff Cemetery]]
 | occupation       = {{hlist|Television host|reporter|newspaper columnist}}
 | years_active     = 1932–1974
 | spouse           = {{marriage|Sylvia Weinstein Sullivan<br>|April 18, 1930|1973|end=d.}}
 | children         = 1<ref name="Elizabeth Betty’ Sullivan Precht">{{cite news|url=http://missoulian.com/news/local/obituaries/elizabeth-betty-sullivan-precht/article_d49cfabc-efe8-11e3-a965-001a4bcf887a.html | title= Elizabeth 'Betty' Sullivan Precht| website= Missoulian | date= June 9, 2014 | location= Missoula, Montana| access-date= March 17, 2015}}</ref>
}}

'''Edward Vincent Sullivan''' (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television host, [[impresario]],{{sfn|Maguire|2006|p=222}} sports and entertainment reporter, and [[print syndication|syndicated]] [[columnist]] for the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' and the [[Tribune Media Services|Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate]]. He was the creator and host of the television variety program ''Toast of the Town'', which in 1955 was renamed ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]''. Broadcast from 1948 to 1971, it set a record as the longest-running variety show in U.S. broadcast history.<ref name=abouted/> "It was, by almost any measure, the last great American TV show", said television critic David Hinckley. "It's one of our fondest, dearest pop culture memories."{{sfn|Nachman|2009|loc=Kindle location 7662–7670}}

Sullivan was a broadcasting pioneer during the early years of [[Television in the United States|American television]]. As critic [[David Bianculli]] wrote, "Before [[MTV]], Sullivan presented rock acts. Before [[Bravo (American TV network)|Bravo]], he presented jazz and classical music and theater. Before the [[The Comedy Channel (United States)|Comedy Channel]], even before there was ''[[The Tonight Show (1954)|The Tonight Show]]'', Sullivan discovered, anointed and popularized young comedians. Before there were 500 channels, before there was [[Cable television|cable]], Ed Sullivan was where the choice was. From the start, he was indeed 'the Toast of the Town'."{{sfn|Nachman|2009|loc=Kindle location 7670}} In 1996, Sullivan was ranked number 50 on ''[[TV Guide]]'''s "50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time".<ref>{{cite journal |year=1996 |title=50 Greatest TV Stars Of All Time |journal=[[TV Guide]] |issue=December 14–20 |asin=B0061QIQ6C}}</ref>