A former local radio and television news director and producer has posted a blistering analysis of ABC News, arguing ABC “has lost its way as a hard news organization.” Frank Gottlieb wrote on Facebook “gravitas is what Ted Koppel brought to ‘Nightline’. With Roone Arledge at the helm and Peter Jennings anchoring, ABC became a well regarded news organization. They have become Disneyfied to the public detriment.”
Gottlieb said he was disgusted by Tuesday’s “Nightline’, which aired hours after the release of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture–which dominated network newscasts. “There was not a word about the report on the broadcast. It would have been the only story during the Ted Koppel era.”
Read the entire post after the jump:
[h/t FTVLive]ABC-TV News has lost its way as a hard news organization. If you’re in news I’d like you to share your thoughts in either the comments or privately. The case in point is Tuesday’s Nightline, which you can hear at the link. It aired the day of the Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture. There was not a word about the report on the broadcast. It would have been the only story during the Ted Koppel era.
Instead there were reports on sleep apnea, and parallels between Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” and the recent New York police choking death. The last segment was David Muir interviewing the cast of “Into the Woods.” The small detail of it being a Disney production, ABC’s parent, was the anchor tag at the end of the program. That explains why James Corden wasn’t part of the story even though he’s the film’s male lead. Corden takes over Craig Ferguson’s spot opposite Nightline next month. Almost forgot, Rosie Perez of ABC’s “The View” was the primary guest in the Spike Lee segment.
Gravitas is what Ted Koppel brought to Nightline. With Roone Arledge at the helm and Peter Jennings anchoring ABC became a well regarded news organization. They have become Disneyfied to the public detriment.