The Bottom Line
Pros
- Groundbreaking
- Informative
- Legendary
Cons
- New format untried
- Format change skews to a younger audience
Description
- Airs Monday through Friday at 11:30 p.m. EST on ABC
- Grew out of the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979.
- Now broadcast live from New York and Washington, D.C.
- Younger audience has given Jimmy Kimmel Live! an increase in viewers.
Guide Review - Overview: Nightline
It grew out of the Iran Hostage Crisis, in which Ted Koppel gathered himself at his news desk and, after local news program, reported to Americans the latest information from the Middle Eastern country. It would keep its name, The Iran Crisis--America Held Hostage, until the hostages release in 1981. Already a trusted source of news, the show would change its name to Nightline and continue its tough approach to interviewing and investigative journalism.
Koppel remained host until 2005, when he announced his retirement from the program. After the new year, the program was relaunched with a new format – three hosts (Cynthia Reynolds, Martin Bashir and Terry Moran) tackling similar issues with similar guests, but with a more pop culture feel.
The difference? More than one topic a night, which steers away from the in-depth approach featured in its first two-and-a-half decades. This new approach has garnered critics, but has proved attractive to a younger audience, used to processing information fast and in smaller chunks.
