Word: lettermans
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...Nightline,” its highly celebrated in-depth news program hosted by Ted Koppel, with David Letterman’s “The Late Show.” The Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, has tried to justify this move by saying that Letterman would lure a younger audience to the 11:35 p.m. timeslot, increasing advertising revenue for a slumping network...
...Nightline” still deserves a prominent spot on the airwaves. Networks have a commitment to their viewers to provide comprehensive, informative news coverage. Quality broadcasting like “Nightline” should not be sacrificed simply to make room for entertainment programming; if ABC does secure Letterman, “Nightline” should be moved to a timeslot in primetime, even if on a more limited basis...
...than sound-bites. Ted Koppel (on the decreasing number of days when he still hosts the show) is TV's best news interviewer, or close to it. I hope he stays on the air, at ABC or elsewhere, even though "Nightline"'s days seem to be numbered even if Letterman stays...
...that personally. We're indignant to learn that anyone might run Disney like what it is: a company in business to make money. (Dedicated to the bottom line! Have they no shame?!) By the weekend, one commentator after another insinuated that Disney was doing something insidious by going after Letterman for "ratings" or "advertising dollars," as if there was something inherently immoral in TV - unlike any other business - about succeeding on that business' own terms...
...Regardless, even given the public-interest argument, does ABC owe it to you and me to keep "Nightline" on the air, even at the cost of millions in additional revenue that Letterman would bring? Or more to the point, does ABC owe us more than their competitors do? If ABC owes it to America to keep Ted Koppel on at 11:35 p.m., why aren't media critics jumping on CBS and NBC, who don't have an 11:35 news program to begin with...