Dick Clark Isn’t Hosting ‘Near Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ Anymore, but He Started It

The Gist:

• Dick Clark launched New Year's Rockin' Eve in 1972.
• After Dick had a stroke in 2004, Ryan Seacrest took over hosting duties in 2005, but Dick still appeared on the show until he passed away in 2012.
• Keeping Dick Clark's name in the show's title is likely a way to honor Dick's legacy.

TV's been around long enough that it's taken on its own history. Multiple generations of television bigwigs have come and gone and although the structure of entertainment has changed a lot over the years, with on-demand streaming applications, networks still hold a lot of influence.

And some of these networks like to honor the history of some of their most influential talents, which could be why ABC's Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve is still named after the TV and radio personality (even though he died in 2012).

Ryan Seacrest has been hosting Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve since 2005.

For many viewers, Ryan's become synonymous with New Year's programming over the years, and they want to know why Dick Clark's name is still headlining the musical extravaganza.

The answer to that is simple. Dick Clark played a massive part in launching the event for NBC on Dec. 31, 1972. Clark took over anchoring duties in New York City, and the rest of the show was hosted by comedy legend George Carlin and the ridiculously popular band Three Dog Night.

The show was a success for NBC and became a mainstay of late-night New Year's Eve entertainment. It was also a vehicle for getting viewers at home amped for the upcoming TV programming year.

Dick Clark was a TV legend, who, like Seacrest, was omnipresent on camera pulling all sorts of hosting duties, from game shows like The $10,000 Pyramid to music-themed programs like American Bandstand, to a slew of ceremonies and award shows.

Since he came up with the concept of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, it seems fitting to keep the name to honor the late television mainstay, well after his passing in 2012.

Between 1972 and 1999, Dick Clark was a fixture of the show. He then took a break, only to return for three more years between 2001 and 2004. Clark, unfortunately, suffered a stroke after his final live program, which was then taken over by Ryan Seacrest in 2005. Since then, various other co-hosts have also helped out to keep the night's events moving — including Dick himself, who continued to appear on the show until his passing.

Clark's show wasn't the first New Year's Eve spectacle on television. The host first came up with the concept when he noticed people really weren't digging Guy Lombardo's ballroom celebration any longer.

Clark saw an opportunity to present folks with something more fresh and engaging, and that's how the show was born.

The show not only pulls in massive ratings, but it has also become the way a lot of people ring in the new year at home. The 2021–2022 edition of the show marked the 50-year anniversary of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Seacrest is going to be co-hosting the Times Square show with singer Rita Ora. There will be performances by Jelly Roll, Megan Thee Stallion, Sabrina Carpenter, and Tyla.

The Los Angeles show (hosted by Jeannie Mai) will feature Aqua, Bebe Rexha, Coco Jones, Doechii, Ellie Goulding, Green Day, Janelle Monae, Loud Luxury, Ludacris, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Paul Russell, Renee Rapp, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and Two Friends.

Meanwhile, Post Malone will be performing in Las Vegas, New Jeans will be performing in South Korea, and Cardi B will be performing in Miami, while the Puerto Rico show (hosted by Dayanara Torres) will feature Ivy Queen.

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve kicks off at 8 p.m. EST on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, on ABC.