How Nightline Has Changed Post-Koppel

How Nightline Has Changed Post-Koppel

NEW YORK -- "Nightline" in its current form is the brainchild of James Goldston, an accomplished TV producer in his native Britain who was brought across the Atlantic for the task of renewing the brand.

"Nightline," since its early days, had been known for a solid brand of TV journalism that encompassed world leaders and Miss Piggy, stories about AIDs and the travails of Tammy Faye Baker, whose interview gave the show one of its biggest ratings.

It was a daunting task.

"After you lose Ted, it's hard to maintain a program," acknowledged ABC News president David Westin.

It was Goldston who insisted that the show be live, to bring back an energy that "Nightline" had been missing and to capitalize on breaking news. Goldston also conceived of a multi-story, nightly magazine show unlike anything that had been seen. It was as far from the original "Nightline" as could be in structure, and different from what most magazine shows do now.

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