Ryan Seacrest shares his plans as new host of ‘Wheel of Fortune’

>>> THE WINNER OF "AMERICAN IDOL" 2002 IS -- KELLY CLARKSON. >> REMEMBER THAT? RYAN SEACREST ANNOUNCING KELLY CLARKSON AS THE VERY FIRST WINNER OF "AMERICAN IDOL," 21 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH. SOME 23 MILLION PEOPLE WATCHED THAT FINALE OF THE CULTURAL PHENOMENON MADE STARS OF BOTH CLARKSON AND SEACREST. IN THE TWO DECADES SINCE AMERICA MET HIM ON "IDOL," SEACREST HAS HELD MORE SUCCESSFUL JOBS THAT WOULD SEEM TO FIT IN A CALENDAR ON HIS WAY TO BECOMING A FULL-FLEDGED MEDIA TITAN IN THE MOLD OF HIS PROFESSIONAL HERO, DICK CLARK. NEXT WEEK SEACREST BEGINS A NEW ADVENTURE AS HOST OF THE NIGHTLY GAME SHOW "WHEEL OF FORTUNE" TAKING OVER FROM PAT SAJAK WHO HELD THE JOB FOR 41 YEARS. RYAN AND I GOT TOGETHER IN NEW YORK LAST FALL TO TALK ABOUT HIS LATEST HIGH-PROFILE GIG AND MUCH MORE. >> "WHEEL OF FORTUNE." >> FOR FOUR DECADES PAT SAJAK WAS A NIGHTLY COMPANION IN AMERICA'S LIVING ROOM. >> TIME IS RUNNING SHORT, SO I WILL ASK YOU TO GIVE IT A FINAL SPIN. LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF THIS WHEEL. ICONIC. I FIND IT SOOTHING. >> NOW RYAN SEACREST IS TAKING THE WHEEL. >> WELL, THIS IS IT, RYAN, WHAT DO YOU THINK? >> IMPRESSIVE, PAT. PAT SAJAK IS AN ICON IN THIS BUSINESS, AND HE'S MADE IT SO COMFORTABLE FOR EVERYBODY TO WATCH IT. I'M LIKE A KID SO EXCITED ABOUT SEEING THE SET. >> SO DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS YET WHAT YOUR VERSION OF THE SHOW WILL BE? >> MY VERSION WILL BE THE VERSION THAT IS. THE GAME WORKS. ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS WALK IN AND SAY, GOOD EVENING, GRAB YOUR DEVICES AND HERE IS THE FIRST PUZZLE. >> HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO YOU THAT VANNA BE BACK FOR YOUR VERSION OF THE SHOW? >> I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. I AM A HUGE VANNA WHITE FAN. WHEN I SIGNED ON, I CALLED HER AND SAID, I VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ON THAT SET WITH YOU. >> AND ALSO PROBABLY NICE FOR THE NEW GUY TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN THERE A WHILE. >> WHO I CAN SAY, HOW DOES THIS WORK? WHERE DO WE GO NOW? WHAT'S NEXT? OKAY, GOT IT. >> AND JUST A LITTLE LOOK TO HER PROBABLY CENTERS YOU A LITTLE BIT, RIGHT? >> SHE CAN -- VANNA, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT TO DO. I CAN'T WAIT. >> LET'S GET READY FOR FALL. >> HE FIRST HIT THE AIRWAVES AT JUST 6 YEARS OLD. WHAT WAS YOUR RAP BACK THEN? >> RADIO RYAN REACHES REACHING THE BEACHES AND ROCKING THE DOCKS, EVERYBODY. LET'S GO. YOU'RE ON THE AIR. CALLER? I WAS OVER THE TOP. I WAS ONE OF THOSE GUYS THAT THOUGHT YOU HAD TO TALK LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME TO MAKE EVERYBODY LISTEN TO GET YOUR ATTENTION. RYAN'S ROSES PROGRAM. >> TODAY THE RADIO HALL OF FAMER NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION. >> YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE BACK STORY BUT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE HAS GOTTEN BACK TOGETHER -- I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THIS, SIT NEAR ONE OF THESE, TO BE ON THE AIR. AND I THINK THE FACT THAT I GET TO DO IT, I'M GRATEFUL, BUT I'M ALWAYS AFRAID IT MIGHT NOT BE THERE. >> BROADCASTING IS HOW SEACREST HAS CONNECTED SINCE HE WAS A KID GROWING UP JUST OUTSIDE OF ATLANTA. I THINK YOU WERE MOWING LAWNS TO RAISE MONEY FOR RADIO SHACK. >> IT WAS STRANGE, EVEN MY PARENTS AT THE TIME, AND MY FRIENDS WHO ALSO MOWED LAWNS BUT THEY WOULD SPEND THEIR MONEY AT THE ARCADE AT THE MALL. I WANTED TO GO TO THE MALL AND RADIO SHACK AND BUY A MIXER, A TINY ONE OF THESE THINGS. >> AT 10. >> AT 10. I WAS PRETENDING TO BE CASEY CASUM. THE BIGGEST STARS WERE THE DEEJAYS. I WAS JUST FASCINATED BY THAT WORLD. I REMEMBER BEING SO EXCITED TO AUDITION TO DO THE MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AT SCHOOL AND I THOUGHT, GOSH, IS THERE A WAY TO DO THIS FOR A LIVING? >> THE STORY GOES, YOU GET A RADIO SHOW AT 16 YEARS OLD ON AN ACTUAL F.M. RADIO STATION IN ATLANTA. >> I WAS AN UNOFFICIAL INTERN. I LEARNED TO RUN THE BOARD. A COUPLE NIGHTS LATER THERE WAS A NIGHT THE TAPE I WAS SUPPOSED TO RUN OF THE DEEJAY BROKE, AND I SIGNED ON THE AIR AND SAID THE CALL LETTERS, AND THAT WAS IT AND I LOOKED UP TO CASEY AND REGIS AND LARRY KING. >> EVERYONE UP JUST LISTED, YOU FILLED THEIR SHOES IN A JOB. >> I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE THAT. IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. I HAVE NO NORMAL TRAINING. >> SEACREST ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, BUT HE WAS A YOUNG MAN IN A HURRY, AND APARTMENT 19 HE LEFT FOR HOLLYWOOD. HE BOOKED HOSTING GIGS BEFORE LAND BEING THE ONE THAT WOULD CHANGE HIS LIFE. >> TAKE A LOOK AT THIS! >> ON A NEW SHOW CALLED "AMERICAN IDOL." I LOVE THE STORY THAT YOU GO IN TO AUDITION FOR "IDOL" AS A JUDGE. >> THEY WERE TALKING TO ME ABOUT BEING A JUDGE. >> THEN HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT HOSTING LIVE TV? YOU SAID, OF COURSE. >> I'VE GOT IT. I FIGURE I'LL LEARN BY DOING. IT WAS UNSCRIPTED. IT WAS LOOSE. WASN'T QUITE SURE WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN EVERY NIGHT. THE IMPERFECTIONS WERE THE BEAUTY OF IT. SEACREST OUT. GOOD NIGHT. >> ARE YOU AWARE THAT SEACREST OUT IS STILL A THING PEOPLE SAY? >> NOW THEY GO, SEACREST IN, IF COME INTO A RESTAURANT. SEACREST IN. >> WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM? >> ONE OF THE NIGHTS THERE WERE MORE THINGS FOR ME TO SAY BUT I COULDN'T GET IT IN IN TIME, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE, SEACREST OUT, BEFORE WE GOT CUT OFF BY THE LOCAL NEWS, AND I THINK IT STUCK. >> SEACREST HAS BEEN EVERYWHERE EVER SINCE. ON RED CARPETS, ON MORNING TELEVISION, IN TIMES SQUARE ON NEW YEAR'S EVE, AND EVEN BEHIND THE SCENES AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF "THE KARDASHIANS" REALITY FRANCHISE. >> THREE, TWO, ONE -- >> AND WE'RE ON. >> HE ALSO HAS BEEN BUSY GIVING BACK, OPENING SEACREST STUDIOS IN CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AT THIS ONE INSIDE OF NEW YORK CITY'S COHEN CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER KIDS GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO STEP INTO SEACREST'S SHOES. >> I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING THAT MADE AN IMPACT AND WAS TANGIBLE. I CAME UP WITH THE IDEA TO DEVELOP STATE OF THE ART MEDIA CENTERS, CONTENT CENTERS, THAT BECOME THE HEARTBEAT OF THESE HOSPITALS. THE IDEA IS TO CREATE THAT ENERGY AND DESTINATION FOR PARENTS AND FAMILIES TO TOTALLY ESCAPE IF THEY CAN JUST FOR A FEW MINUTES WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH. >> IT HAS TO BE SO GRATIFYING TO SAY, I'M HERE. WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I GIVE BACK? >> CHILDREN MISS BIRTHDAYS, PROMS. WE WANT TO CREATE A PLACE THEY CAN CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE THAT, MAKE FRIENDS AND CONNECT. >> WOW. SEACREST TURNS 50 LATER THIS YEAR WITH NO PLANS OF SLOWING DOWN. YOUR MORNING HACK THIS MORNING BEFORE 7:00 -- >> HE'S TOO BUSY LIVING HIS TEENAGE DREAM. >> IT'S EVERYTHING I'VE ALWAYS WANTED, THE PACE FUELS MY ENERGY. IF I WERE TO DO ONE THING ONCE A WEEK, I WOULD BE TERRIBLE. >> RYAN'S BIG DEBUT ON "WHEEL OF FORTUNE" IS NEXT MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9th. OUR THANKS TO IHEART STUDIOS, RYAN'S HOME AWAY FROM HOME, FOR HOSTING OUR CONVERSATION. DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE "S