NYT: ABC Must Decide Not Just Who but Also What for Late Night

ABC Must Decide Not Just Who but Also What for Late Night
By BILL CARTER

Published: April 1, 2005


With Ted Koppel's official decision yesterday to leave ABC News and his longtime program "Nightline," ABC faces the prospect of more than a changing of the guard in its late-night programming. It has an opportunity for a full-scale change of direction.

So far, network executives are deflecting any question of shifting from news to entertainment in the 11:35 p.m. time period. Yesterday, network executives offered nothing but assurances that even if "Nightline" ceases to exist as a program after Mr. Koppel departs in December, the 11:35 time slot will still belong to the news division.

But almost no one in the entertainment industry believes them.

They argue that ABC is simply leaving too much potential money on the table - $100 million a year or more - by not joining NBC and CBS in providing a regular late-night entertainment show. The network, they say, has to be thinking of finding some star or stars who could compete with Jay Leno and David Letterman....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/01/business/media/01abc.html

As long as he maintains complete creative control.

"....Jon Stewart, host of the widely acclaimed "Daily Show" on the Comedy Central cable channel...signed a new four-year deal with that channel a year ago.

Because both Comedy Central and CBS are owned by Viacom, Mr. Stewart is already in line to be an 11:35 host at some point if Mr. Letterman were to step down. When Mr. Letterman was close to jumping to ABC, Leslie Moonves, the chairman of CBS, was prepared to name Mr. Stewart his new host instantly.

Mr. Moonves and the other Viacom executives would have no incentive to allow Mr. Stewart out of his contract to become a late-night competitor on ABC, even if he were inclined to take the job. Close associates of Mr. Stewart said yesterday that they believed that he would not be, because he enjoys his current job so much...."

I hope they do go to entertainment.
less chance for them to brainwash people on a regular basis.

heh heh!

Is vaster a word? Yet more vast?

How about yet another Carson,Leno, Letterman, O'Brien, format... featuring the ever more ubiquitous George Stephanopoulis?

I thought he did a good job in the reports he did.