When Marlo Lewis' contract as a producer on the Ed Sullivan Show expired in 1960, he announced he would be leaving the show as producer. In his book, Prime Time by Marlo Lewis, Lewis stated. that "I was tired after twelve years of a marathon run and wanted to work at my own pace, away from network pressures." The show's Associate Producer and Peabody Award-winning director, Bob Precht, took the helm as Producer when Lewis retired.