Dick Clark and his "New Year's Rockin' Eve" on ABC has been the go-to party for 32 years, but he'll be away from Times Square tonight as he continues recovering from a stroke. Regis Philbin will fill in for him.

NBC is launching its own party show from Rockefeller Center with Carson Daly. Ryan Seacrest, in his third year for Fox, is bringing his show east to New York for the first time. Even gray-haired hipster Anderson Cooper will emcee a CNN New Year's show from Times Square with the rock band Green Day.

Both Daly and Seacrest were booked before Clark took ill, an indication of an approaching generational shift. Much like Clark took over from Guy Lombardo as television's most popular New Year's Eve host, Daly and Seacrest are jockeying to be the next in line.

Don't expect Clark, health permitting, and ABC to give it up easily. "New Year's Rockin' Eve" is annually ABC's second most popular entertainment special after the Oscars.

"There's never been anything to put a dent in it," said Andrea Wong, ABC's senior vice president for alternative series and specials. "There continues to be a huge appetite for the show."

Even in his mid-70s, as he introduces artists young enough to be his grandchildren, Clark's perpetual teenage image has kept the fogey factor at bay. In recent years, he's brought on a younger co-host from Hollywood, a role filled this week by Ashlee Simpson.

The ABC New Year's Eve special will run three and a half hours, starting at 9 p.m., breaking after an hour for news and returning from 11:35 p.m. to 1:05 a.m.

Besides Simpson, performers include Big & Rich; Ciara; Earth, Wind & Fire; Fabolous; Kenny G; Billy Idol; Los Lonely Boys and Simple Plan.

Philbin, who's yet to find a TV job he can't do, was Clark's choice, Wong said. Between that endorsement and Philbin's own popularity, ABC doesn't expect to relinquish its crown.

Daly and Seacrest are both big fans of Clark. They've used his career as a model, and speak of him ever so respectfully. But is that the sound of a door creaking open?

"Things could perhaps be up in the air now in light of the recent circumstances, the unfortunate circumstances with Dick," Seacrest said. "They had to put Regis in at the last minute, and I'm not quite sure what that show will be like or feel like without Dick Clark. He certainly will be missed by America."

"It really won't feel the same without him in Times Square," he said.

Daly spent five years as host of MTV's New Year's Eve party before taking last year off. He has re-emerged to inaugurate NBC's pre-party, which airs from 9 to 10 tonight.

If Daly is disappointed at leaving the air before midnight, he's not letting on.

"I didn't really look past the fact that they said 'you'll be on the air live (before the ball drops) and here's the money,'" he said. "Maybe next year."

He wants the chance to establish himself as a potential New Year's Eve franchise for NBC.

"This is not about me trying to steal something from Dick Clark," he said.

His show will feature performances by Avril Lavigne, Maroon 5 and Duran Duran. Ever the good corporate soldier, Daly will also include a guest shot by "The Apprentice" star Donald Trump via satellite from Trump's own New Year's party in Florida and an appearance by "Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams.