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When Did Late Night TV Lose its Smarts?
Another anchor reels in and sails off.
Tuesday night, Ted Koppel signed-off after 26 years as host of ABC's Nightline program. Both Nightline and Koppel will continue, and it may well be that both institutions will prosper. But it was the end of a great era and a chance to salute one of the few remaining titans of TV journalism.
Locally, Koppel's sign-off was marred by a cruel, but somehow fitting technical screw-up. He was just launching into his final farewell to Nightline viewers by telling a story about new ABC interns and how they rarely remember the great journalists of the past.
At that precise moment, the Nightline feed was interrupted by A-Channel's local simulcast of the Jimmy Kimmel Show, which kicks in automatically at a pre-set time. In the US, ABC was letting Ted run overtime before Kimmel began, but the automated switching systems here would have none of it. Bang -- like the former greats he was paying tribute to, Koppel was blasted offstage by a braying announcer for an obnoxious talk show host. So long Ted. We hardly knew ye.
Frenzy of calm
Koppel's Nightline program was born from an ad-hoc series of broadcasts that followed the 1979 hostage-taking at the US Embassy in Tehran. It was the sort of dedicated, single-topic news show that would later become familiar during media frenzies like the OJ Simpson trial. Nightline did it first, carrying on after the hostage crisis to tackle news stories in-depth every night. In a time slot that found other networks cracking wise with late-night talk shows, Koppel carved out a solid audience with his calm, penetrating appraisals of pressing issues. It's a crime that Koppel and David Letterman usually aired at the same time -- very different guys, but two of the smartest guys on TV.
Doubly cruel then, when it leaked out some years ago that ABC was hoping to replace Nightline by swiping Letterman from CBS. It never happened, but the Koppel-ABC relationship was permanently soured, and Tuesday's departure was the delayed but inevitable result.
Inspring the 'click-reflex'
There are few personalities who inspire the automatic click-reflex. Koppel did that for me. At 11:35 PM, I would always flip to ABC to see what Koppel is up to. A large part of Nightline's appeal was always Koppel himself. There are other smart people on TV but not many of them to match Koppel and fewer still who have the opportunity to employ intellect and experience in exploring a broad range of topics.
This is the work of a team of course; a fact that Koppel was at pains to point out on his final broadcast Tuesday. I have a sister who toils as a documentary producer for the CBC's The National, so I am keenly aware that people tend to focus only on the faces before the camera and forget the people behind it. Still, you can tell some things about a guy when you watch him long enough, and Koppel was clearly a man whose instincts could be trusted. It was not really a surprise to read this week that he spoke fluent German, Russian and French -- at a time when almost the only thing French in US TV news is the pea-brained anti-Gallic ravings of Fox's Bill O'Reilly.
Nightline will return November 28 with multiple hosts and a format that will feature several stories per night. The new version has already been test-driven during Koppel's periodic absences from the show. It holds promise as a solid newsmagazine. But it will definitely be missing something.
Koppel is rumoured to be discussing projects with HBO. It makes sense for Koppel, but it would be a loss for Canadian viewers who can't pick up HBO. There may be no one else like Koppel on TV today. And in Vancouver, we didn't even get to hear him say goodbye.
Steve Burgess is The Tyee's entertainment critic, who never says goodbye to his audience or his TV. ![[Tyee]](http://thetyee.cachefly.net/ui/img/ico_fishie.png){kind=small}
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16
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Bob Rogers
6 years ago
Comments on "When Did Late Night TV Lose its Smarts?"
The above story is trivial in the extreme. Television is an excrutiating Wast of time. Very little information is presented during a specific period of time if you compare it to radio. CBC Radio can bring you more information in just 15 minutes than is found in a 1 Hr TV broadcast. "Yes but we have visual images" say the supporters of TV. "No" I say, what you have are 2-3 second flashes which give you the impression of seeing something but in reality you get to see nothing and are left with the editors impression/viewpoint.
CBC radio also spares you the agonizingly hyped world of advertising which I find nausiating.
Remember: if there is advertising: the reason for the programme is to sell sell sell. The goal of the programme is to attract as many viewers as possible who will be exposed to the advertisers products. Those wishing to manipulate our thoughts and values have found an excellent medium in TV. We sit in front of it, relax and absorb. Not Me!
Truman Green
6 years ago
I love television, Bob Rogers. With so many channels these days, I find that there's usually at least one good show on somewhere. Charlie Rose comes to mind, and even Jim Cantelon's new "Eye to Eye", now that he's resisting his insipid religiosity. CBC's still good and KCTS seems to be handling its new Bush administrators fairly well. And I also think extremely highly of you for using your real name. Thanks a lot! I think it's important to resist the cowardly anonymity on the internet, which to my mind represents the entropy inherent in webbery.
This article isn't earth shattering, but as entertainment critic for the Tyee, I think Steve's doing his job commenting on Koppel. He was, after all, a fairly iconic figure on American tv news.
Steve Burgess
6 years ago
For those interested, there's an interesting piece on the light and dark sides of Koppel in today's Salon. I'm not so good at link posting but here goes:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2005/11/23/koppel/
Bob Rogers, I have written many TV pieces for the Tyee and more will be forthcoming. Why not read them all and then comment on each? I realize it will be time consuming, but on the bright side you can save time by always pasting in the same comment.
Chris Bouris
6 years ago
Interesting choice of link, Steve.
You posted the link just fine - however..
Here's what comes up after reading the short overview paragraph on Salon magazine article.
(please delete this post if quoting the magazine as I'm doing here is not legally permitted - I do not know):
I chose to decline. Perhaps you didn't, for your own reasons.
There is a valid point in Bob's comment, and it doesn't just apply just to TV, as your selection illustrates.
Steve Burgess
6 years ago
My apologies--I am a subscriber to Salon, as I neglected to mention.
But if you're suggesting that Bob's point applies to Salon--i.e. it's all about selling advertising--I think anyone familiar with the history of that publication knows that's ludicrous. Salon has struggled to survive so that it can deliver an alternative to mainstream media, just like the website you're reading now. Does accepting advertising meaning you exist only to sell?
Ranbir
6 years ago
Koppel's analysis of stories was thorough down to the nano-particle. His recent story about "Asbestos", a few weeks back springs to mind. What made his show good was that there were a limited number of stories. This allowed him to speak about each topic for a longer period of time than the typical 45 second stories on some newscasts. CNN also uses this approach on occasions, however just because someone has 15 minutes to dissect a story does not mean that they are cognitively capable of doing so. That is the big difference between journalism and research.
When people do medical research or other types research which is going to be published in a journal and read by a highly discerning public the quality is high. The way journalism is taught in universities, students probably never do any type of qualitative field research, in addition the teachers fail to recruit students who do do research. Without a journalism degree no internships at newspapers or news shows... Koppel did research then talked about it.
Since Bob Rogers brought up the advertising thing. I am very dismayed that the CBC website now has advertising and has so for the last 2-3 months. The BBC website doesn't have any advertising. Can someone make this an election issue next week because I am certain I am not the only one bothered by the advertising.
Crass
6 years ago
Burgess says: "It's a crime that Koppel and David Letterman usually aired at the same time -- very different guys, but two of the smartest guys on TV."
You got to be kidding!
Jon Stewart from The Daily Show put's both Koppel and Letterman to shame. Check him out at 12:05 AM Tuesday to Friday on CTV.
What planet are you on Burgess?
allan
6 years ago
You sure are Crass.
Steve Burgess
6 years ago
Stewart is another of the smartest people on television--two is not the full quota. And in fact Stewart has previously cited Letterman as one of his role models. Letterman has softened in recent years, but he was a pioneer of intelligent comedy on US network TV.
redrivergirl
6 years ago
When Koppel allowed himself to be 'imbedded' with the troops he lost credibility. But, in fairness, I wasn't fond of his style before. I always found him too macho. Not exactly macho, but I can't find the right word. Rather unpleasant. Therefore, I didn't watch him very much. He may be an intelligent journalist. JGordon Gibson, author of Fixing Canadian Democracy, designed the Citizens' Assembly process for the B.C. government
Newsmen/women used to be very skilled. Now, it's become about anchors are reading from direct gov't press releases. The issues aren't examined, instead they play, 'he said, she said' and we remain polarized.
redrivergirl
6 years ago
I must have pasted from my other post by mistake. I'm sorry. It should read...
When Koppel allowed himself to be 'imbedded' with the troops he lost credibility. But, in fairness, I wasn't fond of his style before. I always found him too macho. Not exactly macho, but I can't find the right word. Rather unpleasant. Therefore, I didn't watch him very much. He may be an intelligent journalist. Newsmen/women used to be very skilled. Now, it's become more about anchors reading from direct gov't press releases. The issues aren't examined, instead they play, 'he said, she said' and we remain polarized.
Truman Green
6 years ago
Now this is really first class--a writer who's willing to mix it up with his readers. It really brings a new dimension.
jesterjogger
6 years ago
When BC ranked dead last in Canada for child poverty they ran the story on page a38 of the province. (as opposed to GREY CUP PARTY!! on the cover)
Way to hold gordo and his corporate cronies and their fraser institute economic policies to account canwest goebell!!!
If only Ted Koppel had exhibited the same high standards of journalistic integrity.
redrivergirl
6 years ago
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/18555
Jack's
6 years ago
Totally agree with Steve Burgess about Koppel. He could be interviewing the worst bastard in society yet he was always polite and a gentleman but still was able to penetrate with hard questions.
I suppose I could be considered anti-U.S. but I loved watching his show because I could depend on his honesty.
........As opposed to guys like O'Reilly!
mgeoghegan
6 years ago
The only late night television worth watching now is the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and the Colbert Report.