Ellen Dances Her Way to the Top and is America's Favorite TV Personality

NEW YORK, Jan. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- She took over her time slot, so the question is – can she beat Oprah's record 8 times as America's Favorite TV personality? Ellen DeGeneres could definitely do it, and with this year's rise from number 2 to number 1, this is the second time she's held the top spot on the list. NCIS's head agent, Mark Harmon, drops a spot to number 2, and after an intense political year where The Daily Show was required viewing for many, Jon Stewart remains at number 3.

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These are some of the results of The Harris Poll^® of 2,128 adults surveyed online between December 12 and 18, 2012 by Harris Interactive®.

Talk Soup
Rounding out the top 10 are five more talk show hosts, one sitcom actor and one drama star. He has some new competition at the 11:35 time slot now, but Jay Leno moved up a spot this year to number 4. After a heated game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock" it was decided that The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper, or Jim Parsons, would move up 4 spots to number 5 this year.

Conservative talk show pundit Bill O'Reilly moves from number 4 to number 6. Anderson Cooper – whose syndicated talk show unfortunately wasn't renewed, but who will remain on CNN – debuts on the list in the number 7 spot. They have now ended their "feud" and seem to remain in close proximity on the top ten list – Oprah Winfrey is number 8, while David Letterman is number 9; last year they were 7 and 6, respectively. And, another debut on the top 10 list – he may no longer fight bad guys while wearing a Hawaiian shirt and driving a Ferrari, but now, as NYPD police commissioner Frank Reagan on Blue Bloods, Tom Selleck makes his first appearance on this list at number 10.

Double Trouble
Two have debuted on this year's list, which means two actors have dropped out of the top 10. The diagnoses stopped, so House's Hugh Laurie dropped out of the top 10, after being in the number 8 position last year. And, in news sure to cause rancor in the halls of Comedy Central, Stephen Colbert dropped off the list this year, after being in the number 10 spot last year. 

Diff'rent Strokes for Different Folks
There are different chart-toppers for different groups. Men say Mark Harmon is their favorite, while for women it is Ellen DeGeneres.  Generations also have their favorites. Echo Boomers (those aged 18-35) and Gen Xers (36-47) say Ellen is their favorite, while for Baby Boomers (48-66) and Matures (67 and older) Mark Harmon is number 1.

There are definitely some partisan differences, as well. Bill O'Reilly is the favorite for Conservatives, but for Republicans he ties for that honor along with DeGeneres. Ellen is also tops for Democrats, but for Liberals the favorite is Jon Stewart. Mark Harmon is independents' favorite, and he ties with Ellen as the favorite TV personality among Moderates.

Regionally, Ellen is the favorite in the Midwest, South and West, but in the East Mark Harmon and Jon Stewart tie for the top position. For those with a college degree it is Bill O'Reilly, and for those with a post-graduate degree it is Jon Stewart.

TABLE 1
FAVORITE TV PERSONALITY
"Who is your favorite TV personality?"

Base: All adults

 "=" means there was a tie for that position

TABLE 1 (continued)
FAVORITE TV PERSONALITY
"Who is your favorite TV personality?"

Base: All adults

* The 2002 survey was conducted in January 2003.

"=" means there was a tie for that position

DROPPED OFF OF LIST IN 2012
Hugh Laurie (was No. 8), and Stephen Colbert (was No. 10)
TABLE 2
FAVORITE TV PERSONALITY AMONG DIFFERENT GROUPS

Methodology
This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States December 12 and 18, 2012 among 2,128 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of Harris Interactive.

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The Harris Poll^® #6, January 24, 2013
By Regina A. Corso, SVP, Harris Poll and Public Relations, Harris Interactive

About Harris Interactive
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SOURCE Harris Interactive