Clark's TV show turns 40

Forty years ago, Dick Clark's New Year's Eve special was created to give youngsters an alternative to a seasonal institution, band leader Guy Lombardo. Now Clark's annual show is the institution. New Year's Rockin' Eve, with Clark and Ryan Seacrest, pays tribute to its own history during a sprawling, nearly six-hour programme tonight. The celebration includes the ball dropping in New York City's Times Square to mark the beginning of 2012. "I'm looking forward to it being 2.15 (am on Sunday)," said Larry Klein, who has been producing the show since 1977. New Year's Eve also marks the annual appearance of Clark, once a ubiquitous presence on television. A stroke makes it difficult for Clark to communicate, but he doesn't want to miss this show, Klein said.