The Official debut of World News Tonight

[-TJ-]

<font color=3333ff>So according to GMA, this is the official launch tonight.

Well, I will say that the opening with all the graphics is kind of over the edge. I've always liked ABC news for it's old-style laid back approach...... but it seems they went over a bit with all the in your face graphics. Over hyped I think.

And of course, Bob Woodruff is the first name announce, and Elizabeth Vargas is second... Makes you wonder........


</font>

 

[toby]

Peter Jennings is spinning in his grave.<P ID="signature">______________
<a href=http://blog.spotteddogs.org/blog/>Random Observations on Life, the Universe and Television</a></P>

 

[nuzguy]

> So according to GMA, this is the official launch tonight.
>
> Well, I will say that the opening with all the graphics is
> kind of over the edge. I've always liked ABC news for it's
> old-style laid back approach...... but it seems they went
> over a bit with all the in your face graphics. Over hyped I
> think.
>
> And of course, Bob Woodruff is the first name announce, and
> Elizabeth Vargas is second... Makes you wonder........

Something of a "who goes first" tiff broke out at ABC in the 70s when Barbara Walters was installed on the ABC evening news. Some on-air, hardly disguisable animosity ended when Harry Reasoner said, "The names should be presented
alphabetically." In the two shot Reasoner gave a sly grin, Walters was shooting daggers.
>

 

[Mark_Giardina]

I don’t understand the big deal. Both Woodruff and Vargas have been sharing anchor duties on and off since Peter Jennings died last year. I really didn’t notice anything different about ABC’s newscast this evening.

One thing I am sure of and that is teaming up Woodruff and Vargas isn’t going to help ABC catch up to Brian Williams.

<P ID="signature">______________
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them".</P>

 

[bpatrick]

> Peter Jennings is spinning in his grave.
>

First, a reply to the Reasoner-Walters brouhaha.
Reasoner didn't want Walters in the first place;
he'd gotten his wish to be sole anchor in the
1975-76 season, but the ratings dropped so much
from what they had been when Howard K. Smith
co-anchored that ABC decided they needed Walters'
name (and they had paid her $1 million to move
from NBC). So it really didn't matter; eventually,
the two weren't even shown together on-camera.

It would make sense that Vargas be listed first,
since her name comes first alphabetically.
But I found last night's broadcast to be a bit disjointed:
is Woodruff doing foreign stories, while Vargas is in New
York? She introduced the West Virginia mine
story, then went to him in (I guess) Tehran
for a story on Iran's plans to resume its
nuclear program. At least, in the original
multi-anchor "WNT," you knew that Peter Jennings,
in London, would cover or at least introduce the
overseas stories; and that Frank Reynolds and
Max Robinson, in the U.S., would cover or introduce
domestic stories.

Perhaps it's premature to judge based on one
broadcast, but I was back watching Brian Williams
before the half-hour was over. And I'd be willing
to give CBS a look IF THEY'D PUT JOHN ROBERTS IN
AS PERMANENT ANCHOR!<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by bpatrick on 01/05/06 12:47 AM.</FONT></P>

 

[HomerJay]

As ABC has described it, one or the other will usually be on the road (be that foreign or domestic destinations), but it will vary who's where.


>
> It would make sense that Vargas be listed first,
> since her name comes first alphabetically.
> But I found last night's broadcast to be a bit disjointed:
> is Woodruff doing foreign stories, while Vargas is in New
> York? She introduced the West Virginia mine
> story, then went to him in (I guess) Tehran
> for a story on Iran's plans to resume its
> nuclear program. At least, in the original
> multi-anchor "WNT," you knew that Peter Jennings,
> in London, would cover or at least introduce the
> overseas stories; and that Frank Reynolds and
> Max Robinson, in the U.S., would cover or introduce
> domestic stories.
>
> Perhaps it's premature to judge based on one
> broadcast, but I was back watching Brian Williams
> before the half-hour was over. And I'd be willing
> to give CBS a look IF THEY'D PUT JOHN ROBERTS IN
> AS PERMANENT ANCHOR!
>