That Ted Koppel is a busy guy.
Conan last night, the Today show and Morning Joe tomorrow, then back to Washington for a two-hour stint live on NPR, and beginning tomorrow night, four hours over the next four nights on the Discovery Channel. And now this: Koppel joins BBC World News America as a contributing analyst. The veteran newsman will offer his expertise on major international and national news stories, including the 2008 presidential election. Koppel is expected to travel to Denver and Minneapolis to be a part of the BBC World News America team broadcasting live from the conventions.
Said EP Rome Hartman, “Ted Koppel is the quintessential American journalist with a global perspective. His smart, sophisticated view of the world, and America’s place in it, makes him a perfect fit for BBC World News America.”
Koppel will contribute on the air alongside BBC World News America anchor Matt Frei as well as provide “illustrated essays” for the broadcast.
The press release is after the jump…
TED KOPPEL TO JOIN BBC WORLD NEWS AMERICA AS CONTRIBUTING ANALYST
Ted Koppel, one of the most respected and highly honored journalists in the U.S., will join the nightly newscast which airs on BBC AMERICA and BBC World News in an ongoing role as a contributing analyst.
The veteran newsman will offer his expertise on major international and national news stories, including the 2008 presidential election race. It is expected that he will be part of the BBC World News America team broadcasting live from the party conventions in Denver and Minneapolis.
Executive Producer Rome Hartman comments: “Ted Koppel is the quintessential American journalist with a global perspective. His smart, sophisticated view of the world, and America’s place in it, makes him a perfect fit for BBC World News America. His knowledge and insight on everything, from China’s economic development to the battle for the White House, is second to none and his analysis of stories and issues is razor-sharp.”
Koppel explains that his decision to contribute to BBC World News America has two dimensions. First, “the BBC has worldwide capabilities that I can’t think any American network matches. To the degree that our future in this country is dependent to any extent on what’s happening in the rest of the world — which you won’t hear about a great deal on the American networks — then the BBC can be very, very helpful.”
In addition, Koppel reveals a little-known fact about his background: he spent the first twelve years of his life in the U.K. “As someone who was born in England and grew up riveted to Dick Barton, Special Agent as a child (well, all right, I still love the old tapes), it’s a particular pleasure for me now, as a U.S. citizen and long-time American journalist, to have been asked to join BBC AMERICA as a contributor. That’s my whole life in one phrase — BBC AMERICA.”
Koppel’s contributions will be in the form of conversations with BBC World News America anchor Matt Frei and “illustrated essays” featuring news footage that will compliment his commentary. The timing of his appearances on the program will be subject to breaking news and events in the presidential election calendar.
Ted Koppel is Discovery Channel’s managing editor.