Sajak is affable and funny on air and well known to millions, so it's logical that he'd at least be considered to host a talk show. In 1989, CBS tapped him to host a late night series to directly compete against the undisputed king of late night, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The network spent $4 million to build a new studio for The Pat Sajak Show, paid the host $60,000 a week, and heavily promoted it in the weeks leading up to its January 1989 debut. But Carson simply could not be touched—and Sajak also had to compete with the newer, edgier The Arsenio Hall Show. Ratings for The Pat Sajak Show were usually about half of The Tonight Show's. After briefly removing Sajak in favor of a rotating group of guest hosts (but continuing to call it The Pat Sajak Show), CBS pulled the plug entirely in April 1990. Sajak was at least well compensated: His contract was for two years, so he got paid to host The Pat Sajak Show until early 1991, nearly a year after it went off the air.