Vargas/Woodruff: To Anchor Live Daily Webcast; WNT Web Site To Be Expanded

World News Tonight will “produce a live daily Webcast anchored by Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff” every weekday afternoon beginning January 3, ABC said today. “The Webcast will include a brief update of the day’s top stories with a preview of that evening’s World News Tonight broadcast and air live on ABC News Now, ABCNEWS.com and will be distributed wirelessly.”

“This marks the first time an evening newscast has produced a unique program for the Internet audience,” ABC adds. The broadcast’s Web site will be expanded with “distinct content programmed specifically for the Internet audience.” Correspondents and anchors’ reporting will be available throughout the day and additional video and in-depth info relating to stories will be posted in the “Broadcast Plus” section of the site. Other highlights:

> “Extended-play versions of select high impact anchor packages and special reports.”

> “Unaired portions of interviews with newsmakers and ABC News contributors.”

“Now World News Tonight will always be on,” EP Jon Banner says in the P.R. “We are revolutionizing the way the evening news is delivered — the broadcast will no longer be confined to the evening, no longer limited to television and now will be live to the West Coast.”