Didn't Letterman's production company also own his tv show when he was at NBC?

Yeah, I think Letterman has gotten bored with some of his routine, but he's still a kick-ass interviewer, much better than Leno. And, he's always been really, really distant from his staff. This was all covered in the book "The Late Shift," and Letterman was the "inspiration" for the character Larry Sanders on 'The Larry Sanders Show,' which showed the host distant, as well.