>>> I'M STEVEN SCHEUER WELCOMING
YOU TO ANOTHER IN OUR SERIES OF ORAL HISTORIES IN WHICH WE ARE
FORTUNATE INDEED TO BE ABLE TO INTERVIEW THOSE PERSONS WHO HAVE
HELPED SHAPE THE STYLE AND SUBSTANCE OF TELEVISION AND OUR
MAJOR MEDIA TODAY. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ >>> BACK IN MARCH, 2002, THE
VIEWERS OF "NIGHTLINE," AFTER 22 YEARS AND THOUSANDS OF
BROADCASTS, THEY HAD SEEN THE END OF THIS DISTINGUISHED ABC
NEWS SERIES. BILL CARTER OF "THE NEW YORK
TIMES" SOUNDED THIS ALARM IN THE HEADLINE "KOPPEL, THE ODD MAN
OUT AS ABC RULES LETTERMAN." IT QUOTED AN UNNAMED EXECUTIVE. THEY QUOTED, THE RELEVANCE OF
"NIGHTLINE" IS NOT THERE ANYMORE. YOU RESPONDED THROUGH AN OP ED
PIECE IN THE TIMES WHICH MANY THOUGHT WAS REMARKABLY
CONSTRAINED. CAN YOU TELL US NOW WHAT WAS
GOING ON OFF CAMERA BETWEEN YOU AND ABC NEWS AT THE TIME
AND THE STATE OF YOUR OWN BLOOD PRESSURE? >> WELL, LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY. I WAS BLESSED WITH VERY LOW
BLOOD PRESSURE. IT IS UNDER CONTROL AND DIDN'T
GET OUT OF CONTROL THERE AND HE WAS EXCEPTIONALLY ACCURATE IN
THE REASONS THAT ABC HAD TO DO THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE WERE
PURELY ECONOMIC. I HAVE NO TROUBLE WITH THAT. I HAD NO ALLUSIONS IN THE SAME
OP ED. I'M NOT WORKING FOR A CHARITABLE
ORGANIZATION. IT IS A BUSINESS. THEY HAD MADE A LOT OF MONEY
OVER "NIGHTLINE." THEY BELIEVED THEY WOULD BRING A
GREAT DEAL MORE BY BRINGING DAVID LETTERMAN OVER TO ABC. I UNDERSTAND THAT. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. BUT I SAID IT WAS GRAT TU TUSS
FOR THAT STILL UNNAMED EXECUTIVE TO SAY WHAT HE DID. THAT GOT MY IRISH UP A LITTLE
BIT. SO I FELT THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT
IF THE LETTERMAN THING DID NOT GO THROUGH AND IF "NIGHTLINE"
WAS TO STAY ON ABC THAT THE REPRESENTATIVES AT THIS
ORGANIZATION PUBLICLY EXPRESS WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT
"NIGHTLINE," WHICH THEY DID. >> WHERE DO YOU
STAND RIGHT NOW? IS THERE ANY -- THERE IS A NEW
COMMITMENT? >> RIGHT, YES. >> BETWEEN YOU AND ABC, WHICH
WOULD SATISFY YOU TEMPORARILY. >> IT SATISFIES ME. LOOK, ONE OF THE DELUSIONS THAT
IT WAS UNDERSTANDABLY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO GIVE A PUBLIC
COMMITMENT OF THAT KIND. AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, SOMEONE WHO
HAS SPENT A LOT OF YOUR LIFE IN TELEVISION, NETWORKS
DON'T GIVE COMMITMENTS TO TELEVISION PROGRAMS. THEY NEVER GIVE COMMITMENTS TO
TELEVISION PROGRAMS. SO WE WERE IN A BETTER POSITION
NOW THAN WE ARE IN JUNE OR FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR. AS WE DISCOVERED AT THE TIME,
OUR LIFE SPAN COULD HAVE BEEN AS BRIEF AS A FEW MORE WEEKS. NOW, WE HAVE GAINED SOME
SIGNIFICANT TIME. >> HOW MUCH LONGER? >> NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. >> THAT WAS YOUNG TED KOPPEL. WHAT KIND OF KID WERE YOU? >> WELL, AT AGE 13, YEARS
LEADING UP TO 13, YOU TURN OUT NOT TO HAVE MANY MENTORS OUTSIDE
YOUR OWN FAMILY. I HAD SPENT THREE YEARS IN AN
ENGLISH BOARDING SCHOOL BY THAT TIME, BY THE TIME WE CAME OVER
TO THE UNITED STATES. MY PARENTS WERE GERMAN/JEWISH
REFUGEES WHO HAD FLED HITLER AND I WAS BORN AFTER THEY MARRIED. AT LEAST THEY ASSURED ME IT WAS
AFTER THEY MARRIED. THOSE FIRST 13 YEARS, I MUST
SAY, THAT'S WHEN I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES. >> BOARDING SCHOOL. YOU TELL A STORY OFF CAMERA,
PRIVATE THOUGHTS MADE PUBLIC, THE ENGLISH BOARDING
SCHOOL, I WAS ONE OF ONLY TWO JEWS IN THE SCHOOL. ENGLISH SERVICES ON SUNDAY
MORNING WITH CHAPEL IN THE EVENINGS, WHICH WERE REQUIRED,
YOU WRITE, IT SEEMED REASONABLE ENOUGH AT THE TIME. IT NEVER OCCURRED THERE WAS ANY ANTI-SEMITISM HERE, NOR DO I
THINK OF NOW. IT WAS A PRIVATE MATTER I WAS
EXPECTED TO DEAL WITH ON MY OWN. HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT? >> IT IS CURIOUS, MORT, BECAUSE
TO THIS DAY, MANY OF THOSE HYMNS ARE MY FAVORITE HYMNS. I SPENT THREE YEARS GOING TO A
CHURCH. I AM INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND LITURGY. YOU WENT TO CHURCH. THAT WAS UNDERSTOOD. >> I WENT TO MILITARY SCHOOL. >> IT WAS THE SAME AT THE SAME
TIME. YOU REMEMBER STUDENTS SENDING
YOU TO LONELINESS THAT IS PAINFUL AND CONDUCIVE TO INTRO
SPECKS. >> MY PARENTS WERE IN GERMANY
AND MY FATHER WAS TRYING TO ACQUIRE SOME OF THE THINGS THE
NAZIS HAD TAKE AN WAY FROM HIM, INCLUDING A HOME AND A FACTORY. THEY DID NOT WANT ME FOR
OBVIOUS REASONS TO GO TO SCHOOL IN GERMANY. I WENT TO SCHOOL IN BOARDING
SCHOOL IN IRELAND. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF COMING
BACK WITH SOME LITTLE TOY CARS. I WAS BRAGGING ABOUT THOSE CARS
AND POINTING OUT I THOUGHT THEY WERE SUPERIOR TO THESE CARS. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND IT. THIS WAS PROBABLY IN 1951. IT WAS ONLY SIX YEARS AFTER THE
END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR. FELLOW STUDENTS THERE DIDN'T
TAKE TOO KINDLY TO THIS KID COMING BACK AND SAYING, THE
GERMAN HAVE BETTER CARS THAN THE DUTCH TOO. >> COVENTRY. >> I THINK I WAS IN COVENTRY FOR
ABOUT TWO WEEKS. THAT WAS A LONG TIME. >> WHO DETERMINES THAT? >> THOSE WHO IMPOSE IT. THERE IS NO POINT IN TRYING TO
TEND YOURSELF. THE MORE YOU TRY TO END IT, THE
LONGER IT IS GOING TO LAST. >> AT 13 IN THE JEWISH FAITH,
THE CUSTOMARY PHRASE IS THAT YOU HAVE BECOME A MAN. THIS IS THE YEAR WHEN
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY COME TO THE UNITED STATES. DID YOU FEEL THAT YOU
WERE AT LEAST ON A PATH OF WHAT IS KNOWN AS MANHOOD? STARTING LIFE IN A NEW CULTURE
IS A DAUNTING TASK FOR ANYONE. >> IN IS AND HAS BEEN FOR MANY,
MANY YEARS, AN EXTRAORDINARILY BLESSED COUNTRY. WE DO QUITE ROUTINELY IN THIS
COUNTRY, MOST OF US. THERE ARE PEOPLE HOFF VERY
LITTLE BUT MOST AMERICANS HAVE MUCH MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE IN
ANY OTHER COUNTRY OF THE WORLD. OUR MIDDLE CLASS IS WEALTHIER IN
MANY RESPECTS THAN PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSIDERED TO BE QUITE WELL
OFF IN OTHER COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. >> AND SOME OF THAT IS THE POINT
OF -- I REMEMBER MY FATHER GIVING WHATEVER THE PRICE WAS,
PROBABLY A QUARTER, TO GO AND BUY THE SUNDAY TIMES. I WENT TO SOME LOCAL NEWSSTAND
TO PICK UP THE TIMES. THE NEWS VENDOR GAVE IT TO ME. I SAID, I ONLY NEED ONE COPY. HE SAID, IT IS ONE COPY. AS PEOPLE IN NEW YORK AND PEOPLE
AROUND THE COUNTRY, PEOPLE DON'T APPRECIATE A "NEW YORK TIMES" IN
NEW YORK ON A SUNDAY PROBABLY WEIGHS SIX OR SEVEN POUNDS. IT IS SEVERAL HUNDRED PAGES. I HAD NEVER SEEN A NEWSPAPER
LIKE THAT. I REMEMBER DURING THE FIRST WEEK
WE WERE IN THE STATES, MY MOTHER CAME TO FIND ME SITTING ON THE
HOTEL BED. IN THOSE DAYS, THEY DIDN'T
HAVE TELEVISION BUT THEY DID HAVE RADIOS. SHE FOUND ME CRIES ON THE BED
AND SHE SAID, WHAT'S THE MATTER? I SAID, I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT
KIND OF A COUNTRY WE HAVE COME TO HERE. SHE SAID, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? >> I HAD JUST HEARD AN AD FOR
BAROSKYA'S. IT WAS ♪
EAT TOO MUCH, DRINK TOO MUCH ♪ ♪ TRY BAROSKYS ♪
. >>
WE HAD RATIONING IN ENGLAND FOR SOME COMMODITIES UNTIL 1952, SUGAR AND CANDY. SO I HAD JUST LEFT A COUNTRY
WHERE THERE WAS STILL RATIONING AND HAD JUST COME TO A COUNTRY
WHERE THE ONLY THING PEOPLE COULD THINK TO DO IF THEY HAD EATEN TOO MUCH OR DRANK TOO
MUCH, WAS TAKE MEDICINE FOR IT. I SAID, WHY CAN'T THEY JUST EAT
LESS. OR DRINK LESS. THEN THEY WON'T
GET UPSET STOMACHS. THAT SEEMED LIKE A MUCH SIMPLER
SOLUTION. WOULD HAVE SAVED A LOT OF MONEY
ALL AROUND. BUT I QUICKLY ADAPTED. >> RESEARCH IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
AT STANFORD, DID THESE YEARS HELP SHAPE YOUR DECISION TO SEEK
A CAREER IN JOURNALISM? IF NOT, WHAT DID? WAS THERE A SUDDEN EPIPHANY. >> THAT CAME LONG BEFORE, MORT. IT CAME AT A VERY, VERY EARLY
AGE. I HAD DECIDED I WANTED TO BE A
JOURNALIST. I HAD EARLIER MEMORIES. I CAN'T PAY TOO MUCH
ATTENTION TO IT BUT IT CLEARLY HAD AN IMPACT. MY FATHER WAS OVER TO THE BBC
FOR CBS RADIO. HIS P RANTINGS WERE THOUGHT OF
BEING SUCH PROPAGANDA VALUE FOR THE BRITISH PEOPLE THAT MANY OF
THEM WERE ON THE BBC. MY FATHER LISTENED AVIDLY. I REMEMBER THINKING THIS
SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY NEAT WAY TO MAKE A LIFE. P BEING ABLE TO TRAVEL, TALK TO
THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE AND TO DO IT ON SOMEBODY ELSE'S
NICKEL, THAT SOUNDED GOOD. I'VE NEVER DEVIATED FROM THAT
OVER THE PAST WHATEVER IT IS NOW, 57, 58 YEARS. >> AND NOT REGRETTED IT. >> I HAVEN'T REGRETTED IT FOR A
MOMENT. I CAME OUT OF PREP IN 1962 WITH
A MASTER'S DEGREE. I THOUGHT "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
WOULD JUST BE TRIPPING ALL OVER ITSELF TO WANT TO HIRE ME. INDEED, THEY DID, HIRE ME, AS A
COPY BOY, WHICH IS WHAT DESK ASSISTANTS WERE CALLED IN THOSE
DAYS. IT WASN'T A LOT OF MONEY EVEN
BACK IN 1962 BUT I WAS CONTENT TO DO THAT. THEN, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH
ONE OF THE EDITORS, THEY SAID, TELL ME, HOW LONG DO YOU THINK
IT WILL BE THAT I CAN RISE FROM BEING A COPY BOY UNTIL WRITING
SOMETHING? HE SAID, IF YOU ARE VERY GOOD,
IT WILL BE THREE YEARS. I WAS ADJUSTING TO THE IDEA OF
GETTING MARRIED. MY WIFE AS A NEW YORK CITY
SCHOOL TEACHER AT THAT TIME. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I WAS
GOING TO MAKE IT ON $60 A WEEK WITH A FAMILY. SO I TOOK THIS JOB FOR $90 A
WEEK. THAT WAS A GOOD LEARNING
EXPERIENCE. THERE WERE SOME TERRIFIC
REPORTERS, ONE OF THEM WHOM, BENNY MANLYNN, PROBABLY ABOUT AS
GREAT OF A POLICE REPORTER. THE NEWS DIRECTOR AT THE
TIME WAS A FRIEND BY THE NAME OF KEN CORNELL. NEW YORKERS, PROBABLY HEARD HIS
DAD ON CBS RINGING IN THE TONES OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS. I WAS QUITE CONTENT AT WNBA. THEN, ONE DAY, I WAS SENT TO
COVER SOMETHING IN YORKVILLE. I
DID A PRETTY GOOD INTERVIEW IN WHICH HE IN HIS SPEECH HAD DENOUNCED PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S
CABINET BY ALL THESE JEWS. WE KIND OF TIPPED THROUGH THE
CABINET. I SAID, WHICH OF THE NEW JEWS ON
PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S CABINET DID YOU HAVE IN MIND, ROBERT
McNAMARA OR BLOOM RUSK OR HIS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER,
GEORGE BUNDY? AS WE WENT THROUGH THE ENTIRE
CABINET, I THINK THERE MAY HAVE BEEN ONE OR TWO JEWS IN THE
CABINET, THERE CERTAINLY WAS MORE THAN THAT. HE WAS VERY
PLEASED WITH THAT INTERVIEW AND PLAYED IT SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS
ENCOURAGED ENOUGH TO SAY, DO YOU WANT TO DO MORE OF THOSE
INTERVIEWS? I SAID, SURE, YOU BET. THEN, THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
TELEVISION AND RADIO, MANAGEMENT AT WMCA AND SAID, IF HE
IS GOING TO BE ON THE AIR, HE HAS TO JOIN THE UNION. HE CAME BACK AND SAID, YOU HAVE
NO JOIN THE UNION. I SAID, THAT'S FINE. I'LL BE HAPPY TO DO THAT. IT WAS SIMPLE. I HAD TO PAY $350 INITIATION
BETWEEN AND WAS A MEMBER. THAT WAS A YEAR'S SALARY BEFORE
TAXES BUT THEN AFTER THAT, HE CAME BACK AND SAID, THAT'S FINE. IF YOU ARE GOING TO
HAVE HIM ON THE AIR, WE HAVE TO PAY HIM SCALE. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AT
THE TIME ROUGHLY DOUBLING, MAYBE MORE, OF MY SALARY. WMCA SAID, THE OPTION IS, WE
HAVE HIM ON THE AIR AND HAVE TO PAY HIM A COUPLE HUNDRED OF
BUCKS OR DON'T HAVE HIM ON THE AIR AND DON'T HAVE TO PAY HIM
ANYTHING. NOW, I WAS NOT ON THE AIR
AND OUT $350 AND COULDN'T GET ON THE AIR. THAT'S WHEN I STARTED LOOKING
RATHER MORE SERIOUSLY FOR A NEW JOB AND ULTIMATELY FOUND THIS
JOB WITH ABC. >> YOU SENT OUT YOUR BIO, YOUR
RESUME. >> NO, NO. THE GOOD GUYS. THERE WAS A D.J. BY THE NAME OF
JIM HARRIET. HE HEARD ABC RADIO WAS STARTING
A NEW BROADCAST. HE SAID, I THINK THEY ARE STILL
LOOKING FOR A COUPLE OF GUYS. WHY DON'T YOU GO OVER AND
AUDITION. SO I DID. I DID RATHER WELL. IT WAS TERRIFIC. YOU SOUND GOOD. WE LIKE YOUR WRITING. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS, YOU ARE 23
YEARS OLD AND WE CAN'T POSSIBLY HIRE YOU AS AN ABC
CORRESPONDENT. I SAID, THEY NOBODY IS GOING TO
KNOW UNLESS YOU SAY, HERE IS 23-YEAR-OLD TED KOPPEL. THEY SAID, NO, WE JUST CAN'T BUT
THEY DID OFFER HE A JOB AT A NEWS WRITER AT $175 A WEEK,
WHICH SEEMED LIKE AN AWFUL LOT OF MONEY BUT I TURNED THEM DOWN. I SAID, THAT'S NOT THE JOB I
APPLIED FOR. I THINK I'M QUALIFIED
FOR THAT ON AIR JOB AND THAT'S THE JOB I WANT. I WAS MARRIED AND WE HAD A BABY
ON THE WAY. I SAID TO MY WIFE, I THINK I
JUST BLEW $175 A WEEK JOB BUT SHE WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE AND
SAID, LOOK, YOU DID WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS THE RIGHT THING. THROUGH THAT, THE PRODUCER
CALLED UP AND SAID, ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE THOUGHT IT OVER, COME ON
OVER. THAT JOB PAID $270 A WEEK. WELL, I'VE MADE BIGGER SALARIES
IN THE YEAR SINCE THEN BUT NONE EVER SEEMED BIGGER THAN THAT
ONE. THAT WAS HUGE. >> SOME OF YOUR EARLIEST
ON-CAMERA PIECES IN WHICH YOU GOT TO SAY, THIS IS TED KOPPEL
FROM ABC NEWS. >> IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT
HAPPENED UNTIL 3 1/2 YEARS BLA IT TER, BECAUSE I WAS DOING
RADIO. I DID A LATE NIGHT NEWSCAST IN
ADDITION TO DOING THIS PROGRAM WHICH IS WHAT I BEGAN DOING, I
WAS QUICKLY GIVEN A 15-MINUTE NEWSCAST AT 10:55 P.M. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A LATE NIGHT
KIND OF GUY. IT WAS CALLED "WORLD WRAP-UP." I GOT A BIG KICK DOING THAT. >> WHAT KIND OF ORGANIZATION WAS
ABC NEWS AT THE TIME? IT WAS SHORTLY AFTER THE MOST
MODERN ERA AT CBS, HUNTLEY BRINKLY AND HOWARD K. SMITH,
SOME OF US FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE AN INTERVIEW WITH HIM FOR
THIS SERIES TOLD US THAT ABC WAS STILL HE WENT OVER TO ABC AFTER
THE DISPUTE WAS STILL SEEKING PARODY, LET ALONE A SIGNATURE. WOULD YOU AGREE? >> I THINK HOWARD AS HE WAS
INCLINED TO DO WAS BEING VERY KIND. ABC WAS FOURTH IN A THREE
NETWORK RACE. ABC IS A NEWS ORGANIZATION JUST
BARELY EXISTED. I THINK IN THOSE DAYS IT WAS
PROBABLY MORE AN EXAGGERATION TO SAY THAT THE ON-AIR BUDGET FOR
ABC NEWS WOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE AS THE SALARY FOR A NETWORK MAN. THE GOOD NEWS WAS THAT IT LEFT
THE NEWS DIVISION THAT CONSIDERED THEIR FREEDOM. NOBODY REALLY CARED WHAT WE
COVERED. WE WERE FREE TO COVER THOSE
STORIES THAT WE THOUGHT WAS MORE IMPORTANT. THAT WAS BEFORE THE DAY THAT
NETWORKS DISCOVERED THAT P NEWS COULD ACTUALLY TURN A PROFIT. BEFORE TURNING THE PROFIT, THERE
WAS NO PARTICULAR PRESSURE TO DO STORIES ON PEOPLE THAT WERE
MURDERED FROM THE FOOTBALL STAND. WE CAN DO STORIES ON FOREIGN
POLICY. WE COULD DO STORIES ON IMPORTANT
ISSUES IN THE WORLD AND MOST DAYS WE WOULD, TO THE EXCLUSION
TO JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE. >> DID YOU BELIEVE VIETNAM TO BE
A TRAGIC ENDEAVOR AS MANY DID? IF SO, IF YOU DID, WHEN DID YOU
MAKE THIS PERCEPTION? >> WELL, I WENT TO VIETNAM FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN 1967. I WENT FOR A YEAR. I CAME BACK M '67, SPENT '68 IN
THE STATES COVERING CENTRAL AND LATIN AMERICA, COVERING SOUTHERN
WHITE STORIES IN THE SOUTH HERE AND THEN I WAS SENT OUT TO BE
BUREAU CHIEF IN HONG KONG. I THINK MY PERCEPTION OF VIETNAM
WAS VERY MUCH INFLUENCED BY AN INTERVIEW I DID IN 1964 WITH
THREE COLLEAGUES, DAVID HAMMER STEIN, WHO WAS THEN WORKING FOR
"THE NEW YORK TIMES," NORTON BROWN, THE "ASSOCIATED PRESS"
CORRESPONDENT, ALL OF US COVERING VIETNAM AND I DID AN
INTERVIEW WITH THE THREE OF THEM. MUCH OF WHAT THEY TOLD
ME THEN TURNED OUT TO BE ABSOLUTELY TRUE. THEY HAD A MUCH CLEARER VISION
OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN VIETNAM AND WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. I FOUND WHEN I WENT TO VIETNAM
MYSELF IN EARLY '67 I FOUND MYSELF DISCOVERING MORE OF THE
THINGS THAT THEY HAD DISCOVERED A COUPLE OF YEARS EARLIER. SO I WOULD SAY FROM MID '67 ON. I HAD VERY FEW ILLUSIONS ABOUT
VIETNAM OR THAT ULTIMATELY THE UNITED STATES WOULD HAVE TO
WITHDRAW. I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS A WAR
THAT COULD BE WON. BECAUSE OF THE KNICKS ON
CAMPAIGN, I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE, WHEN HE WON, I THOUGHT I
WAS GOING TO BECOME ABC'S WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT. I WAS CALLED IN BY THE THEN
PRESIDENT, BILL SHEEN, WHO SAID, LOOK, YOU HAVE DONE A TERRIFIC
JOB. I AM GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU
STRAIGHT. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOUR
REPORTING BUT YOU ARE 28 YEARS OLD AND YOU LOOK ABOUT 21. I JUST CAN'T PUT YOU IN THE
WHITE HOUSE. YOU ARE JUST TOO YOUNG. BUT I WILL GIVE YOU THE
SOUTHEAST ASIAN BUREAU CHIEF IF YOU ARE WILLING TO GO BACK OUT
TO HONG KONG. MY WIFE AND KIDS HAD
BEEN LIVING IN HONG KONG WHEN I WAS IN VIETNAM. WE WERE VERY FOND OF HONG KONG. WE LOVED LIVING OUT THERE. I WAS JUST BEGINNING TO
FEEL IN VIETNAM THAT I KNEW WHAT IT WAS ABOUT. SO I WAS EAGER TO GO BACK AND
RESUME COVERING THAT STORY. >> IN '75, YOU ANCHORED
ABC'S SATURDAY NIGHT NEWS, AM I CORRECT? >> I DID. >> YOUR DIPLOMATIC ASSIGNMENTS
INCLUDING COVERAGE OF FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE HENRY
KISSINGER, WHICH YOUR C.V. SAID TOOK YOU MORE THAN A QUIETER OF
A MILLION MILES DURING THAT TIME OF SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY. >> I THINK THE QUARTER OF A
MILLION MILES COVERED MORE THAN JUST COVERING KISSINGER BUT,
YES, THERE WAS A YEAR WHEN WHICH I DID A QUARTER OF A MILLION
MILES. THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAVELING. >> I DON'T MEAN TO GET OFF ON A
LIGHTER NOTE BUT I READ THAT YOU DO A TERRIFIC HENRY KISSINGER
IMPERSONATION. >> YES. I WILL DO IT WHEN YOU AND I HAVE
SOMETHING MORE POWERFUL SITTING ON THERE. >> IN 1979, DURING JIMMY
CARTER'S PRESIDENCY, A GROUP OF ARMED MEN STORMED THE AMERICAN
EMBASSY IN TEHERAN AND TOOK 65 EMPLOYEES HOSTAGE. WHERE WERE YOU ON THAT SUNDAY? >> I WAS HOME. I GOT A CALL FROM THE DESK AND
SAID, LOOK, A BUNCH OF RADICAL STUDENTS HAVE SEIZED THE U.S.
EMBASSY. WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO COME IN AND
DO A STORY. WHAT FEW PEOPLE REMEMBER IS THAT
JUST A FEW MONTHS PREVIOUS, A BUNCH OF RADICAL STUDENTS HAD
SEIZED THE EMBASSY. THE THEN AMBASSADOR HAD COME
OUT, TALKED TO THEM, SENT THEM HOME, AND NOTHING HAPPENED. SO I SAID, LOOK, THIS
THING IS GOING TO BE OVER IN A COUPLE OF HOURS. IT WAS SUNDAY. I DIDN'T WANT TO GO IN. I SAID I THINK THIS IS GOING
TO BE OVER BEFORE I GO TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT. WHY DON'T YOU JUST FORGET ABOUT
IT. THE GUY ON THE DESK SAID, NO, WE
REALLY THINK THERE IS NOTHING MUCH ELSE GOING ON TODAY. WE NEED YOU TO COME IN AND DO
THAT STORY. AND AS HISTORY WAS TO PROVE I
DID THAT, 440 DAYS. AND AS HISTORY WAS TO PROVE I
DID THAT, 440 DAYS. >>> THIS IS ABC NEWS
"NIGHTLINE," REPORTING IN WASHINGTON, TED KOPPEL. >> GOOD EVENING, THIS IS A NEW
BROADCAST IN THE SENSE IT IS PERMANENT AND CONTINUE AFTER THE
CRISIS IS OVER. THERE ARE NIGHTS THAT IRAN IS
NOT THE BIG STORY AND WE WILL FOCUS ON ANOTHER STORY. AGAIN, TODAY, IRAN IS THE MAJOR
STORY. FOR THE FIRST TIME ON
TELEVISION, WE'LL PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE WIFE OF AN
AMERICAN HOSTAGE TO SPEAK LIVE WITH AN IRANIAN OFFICIAL. >> WHY ARE WE NOT BEING ALLOWED
TO HEAR FROM THE HOSTAGES? WHY ARE WE NOT CORRESPONDING? WHY ARE THERE SO FEW PHONE CALLS
AND NOT MORE? >> PERHAPS ONE REASON IS BECAUSE
YOUR CIA SYSTEM IS SO SOPHISTICATED. LOOK AT CANADA, THE PEOPLE. WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING REALLY
AGAINST THEM. I THINK THE SECURITY MEASURE IS
THE MAIN REASON. I BELIEVE THAT. >> WHY THEN DO YOU THINK THE
STATE DEPARTMENT, YOU LET A THIRD PARTY IN? WHY DO YOU ONLY SEND A FEW,
INSTEAD OF ALL THE HOSTAGES? >> I DO NOT KNOW THAT. I SINCERELY DO NOT KNOW THE
ANSWER TO THAT. >> P HE WAS BESEECHING THE
NETWORK TO HAVE AN OPEN-ENDED LATE NIGHTTIME SLOT AND PERHAPS
A CRISIS THAT DIDN'T LAST FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. >> ROONE WASN'T THE KIND TO
BESEECH. ROONE WAS SMARTER THAN THAT. HE HAD WANTED A ONE HOUR
NEWSCAST AT 6:30, 6:30-7:30 SLOT. THERE WAS NOWHERE THAT THE
AFFILIATES WERE GOING TO GIVE UP THAT VALUABLE 7:00-7:30
TIME SLOT BUT ROONE KNEW THE NETWORK BUREAUCRACY. HE HAD IN MIND THAT IF HE
COULDN'T GET THAT HOUR BROADCAST, THEN HE WOULD SIMPLY
TAKE A HALF HOUR IN THE EARLY EVENING AND TRY TO GET HALF AN
HOUR LATE AT NIGHT. FOR SOME MONTHS, HE HAD SAID IN
THE NEWS DIVISION, WHENEVER THERE WAS A MAJOR EVENT THAT
HAPPENED, HE WOULD SEIZE THAT HALF HOUR AT 11:30 AT NIGHT AND
DO A SPECIAL. I REMEMBER WE DID A SPECIAL WHEN
ELVIS PRESSLEY DIED. WE DID A COUPLE OF SPECIAL WHEN
IS THE POPE CAME TO VISIT. THERE WERE ANY NUMBER OF OTHER
STORIES BUT WHAT HE WAS REALLY LOOKING FOR WAS A STORY THAT
WOULD LAST. SO I BELIEVE IT WAS
THAT THE HOSTAGES WERE TAKEN ON NOVEMBER 4th. IT WAS PROBABLY NOVEMBER 8th
WHEN HE SAID, WE'RE GOING TO DO A LIGHT NIGHT SPECIAL ON THIS. WE DID A LATE NIGHT SPECIAL ON
THE 8th AND 9th, AND THE 10TH, AND THE 11th, AND THE
12th, AND THE 15th, AND THE 20th, AND THE 25th. I REMEMBER ONE DAY SAYING, THERE
IS NOTHING HAPPENING TODAY. WE GOT NOTHING TO SAY TONIGHT. WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING THE
SPECIAL TONIGHT. HE SAID, DO IT ANYWAY. TELL THEM WHAT THE
DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN I SHIA AND A SUNNI MUSLIM. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO. JUST PUT ON A HALF HOUR. WHAT HE WAS REALLY DOING WAS HE
HAD SEIZED THAT TIME PERIOD. HE WASN'T GOING TO LET IT GO
AGAIN. THE HOSTAGE CRISIS WENT ON AND
ON AND ON. ABC WAS LOSING A TON OF MONEY,
BECAUSE THESE WERE ABC SPECIALS AND THEY COULDN'T SELL
ADVERTISING ON THIS SPEEGSS. THEY HAD TO P P DO THE REGULARLY
NEWS SCHEDULED PERSON BEFORE THEY COULD SELL IT. THAT IS WHEN "NIGHTLINE" WAS
BORN, IN MARCH OF 1980. >> MARCH 24th. >> SO IT WOULD BE NOVEMBER, TO
DECEMBER, TO JANUARY, FOUR MONTHS LATER, 4 1/2 MONTHS AFTER
WE BEGAN. "NIGHTLINE" WENT ON THE AIR AS A
PERMANENT BROADCAST. NOW, WE COULD SELL ADVERTISING
AND THE HOSTAGE CRISIS WON'T END FOR ALMOST ANOTHER YEAR. >> DID THEY NOW SAY YOU LOOK OLD
ENOUGH? >> I DON'T THERE WAS ANY PROBLEM
THERE THEN. IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG. >> TOM CHAZ, AS YOU RECALL,
TELEVISION REVIEW, NOT EXACTLY YOUR TOUCHY-FEELY CRITIC, CALLED
THE SHOW, THE OPENING BROADCAST CHEAPLY THEATRICAL, MORPH ISH
AND SELF-PROMOTIONAL, DRESSED UP IN A CLOWN SUIT AND PARADED IN
THE CENTER RING. HOW DID YOU AND YOUR STAFF REACT
TO THAT KIND OF NOTICE? >> I HAD LEARNED OVER THE YEARS
NOT TO COMPLAIN, CERTAINLY NOT TO TELEVISION CRITICS. BUT I CALLED HIM AND I SAID, I
THOUGHT THAT WAS A CHEAP SHOT. YOU DIDN'T EVEN GIVE US A CHANCE
TO GET OFF THE GROUND. THAT'S OUR FIRST PROGRAM OF WHAT
WE HOPE IS GOING TO BE A PERMANENT SERIES. I THOUGHT IN ALL FAIRNESS, YOU
SHOULD GIVE US ANOTHER LOOK. TOM P WAS A VERY SENSITIVE GUY,
A VERY DECENT GUY P HE PROMISED TO DO THAT. I THINK HE CAME BACK LATER WITH
A RAVE REVIEW, ONE OF THE NICEST REVIEWS I HAVE EVER HAD. AGAIN, I DIDN'T WANT TO COMPLAIN
ABOUT WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. I WAS JUST CONCERNED ABOUT THE
TIMING. YOU DON'T JUST GO OFF TO A NEW
PROGRAM BASED ON WHAT A BUNCH OF VERY NERVOUS PEOPLE DO ON THE
FIRST NIGHT. YOU HAVE TO GIVE IT A VERY FEW
NIGHTS. >> INCLUDING CHEFS. RESTAURANT CRITICS GIVE YOU A
SECOND CHANCE. >> I WOULD THINK. >> THE REVIEW AS YOU
SUGGEST IS NINE MONTHS AFTER THAT FIRST REVIEW. HE WAS NOW WRITING "NIGHTLINE"
REPRESENTS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMMING INITIATIVE IN ABC
NEWS HISTORY. WHAT MAKES "NIGHTLINE" CLICK IS
COPPELL'S BOLD INTERVIEWING STYLE, A VERBAL AND RHETORICAL
COMBINATION OF SUGAR RAY LEONARD AND BARYSHNIKOV, JUDICIOUS TO
DELICIOUS INTERRUPTIONS. KOPPEL, AKA PEL LA. >> VIEWERS REALLY DEPENDED UPON
YOU ON "NIGHTLINE" TO TELL THEM WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE
CRISIS. >> I THINK IT WENT IN WAR IN
1980. PEOPLE ON CABLE NEWS WHO THOUGHT
IT WAS HAPPENING, IN THE TIME CAME ON AT 11:30. >> THE CRISIS ENDED WHEN? THE IRANIANS WERE ABLE TO
RELEASE THE HOSTAGES TO JIMMY CARTER. THEY WAITED UNTIL THE VERY
MOMENT THAT RONALD REAGAN TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE AND THERE HAD
TO HAVE BEEN SOMEONE IN THE UNITED STATES ON THE CELL PHONE
OR ON WHATEVER PHONE TO TEHRAN SAYING, OKAY. HE IS NOT THE PRESIDENT ANYMORE. REAGAN'S IN. CARTER IS OUT. AT THAT MOMENT, THEY LET THE
PLANE GO WITH THE HOSTAGES TO TAKE OFF. >> MR. KOPPEL, I WAS ASKED THE
QUESTION LAST SPRING WHICH I REFUSED TO ANSWER. IF THE QUESTION WAS IN THE FINAL
YEARS OF MY SEPARATION, INCLUDING TWO PUBLIC
SEPARATIONS, HAVE I BEEN FAITHFUL TO MY WIFE. I HAVE TO SAY, THE ANSWER IS NO. I ALSO AM NEVER GOING TO
ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY INDIVIDUAL. I HAVE NO PRIVACY. MY WIFE HAS PRIVACY AND OTHER
INNOCENT PEOPLE HAVE PRIVACY. I DON'T CARE WHAT QUESTIONS ARE
ASKED TONIGHT OR ANY TIME IN THE FUTURE, I'M NOT GOING TO ASK
THEM. I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO ANSWER
THINGS THAT ARE UNPRECEDENTED IN AMERICAN POLITICAL HISTORY. I REGRET IT. THAT QUESTION SHOULD NEVER BEEN
ASKED. >> THE QUESTION IS FREQUENTLY
ASKED, WHAT ABOUT JACK KENNEDY. HE WAS PROBABLY JUST AS ROUNDY
IN HIS DAY. I DESCRIBED FDR AS HAVING BEEN
ROUNDY. HE HAD AN AFFAIR. THESE GUYS HAD MULTIPLE
RELATIONSHIPS. IN THE WAKE OF VIETNAM AND IN
THE WAKE OF WATERGATE AND IN THE WAKE OF MANY THINGS THAT HAD
HAPPENED IN THE LATE '60s, THERE WASN'T THE WILLINGNESS TO GIVE
PEOPLE THE KIND OF LEEWAY THAT HAD BEEN GIVEN TO THEM IN THE
'40s OR '50s, OR EARLY '60s. GERHART WAS THE FIRST VICTIM. HE WAS A VICTIM OF HIS OWN
DESIGN. >> WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS
THIS WAS IN THE SQUARE BEHIND POLICE HEADQUARTERS. WE HAD JUST SPENT THE MORNING
GOING THROUGH POLICE HEADQUARTERS WHICH HAD BEEN
ABANDONED AND THE POLICE HAD SET FIRE TO MANY OF THE DOCUMENTS
THAT WERE IN THERE. THERE WAS A SMALL OPEN AIR IN
THE SQUARE BEHIND THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF CUSTOMERS
SITTING THERE. SO I'M ASKING THEM IF
THEY WOULD MIND IF I SAT DOWN AND TALKED TO THEM. THEY WERE BOTH SERBS. I ASKED THEM WHAT HAPPENED TO
THE KOSOVO ALBANIANS AND ONE IN PARTICULAR KEPT INSISTING THAT
THE ALBANIANS, WHO WERE THE VICTIMS OF A NUMBER OF
ATROCITIES AND INDEED HAD JUST COME THE DAY BEFORE FROM THE
SQUARE THAT OPENED UP IN WHICH THERE HAD BEEN THE BODIES OF
WOMEN AND CHILDREN. >> THE PEOPLE ARE NOT TODAY. IT IS THE REGIME WHICH IS TO
BLAME. SERB AND ALBANIAN AS WELL. >> WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I AM ASKING HIM WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN HE FACES THE FIRST KLA SOLDIER WHO COMES UP TO HIM AND
SAYS, THIS IS WHAT I AM TELLING YOU HAPPENED TO OUR WOMEN, TO
OUR YOUNG MEN, TO OUR VILLAGES TO OUR HOMES. WE ARE GOING TO LOOK HIM
IN THE EYE AND SAY, NO, NONE OF THAT HAPPENED. IT IS NOT TRUE. >> IF I SEE HIM ON THE
STREET, I WILL RESPECT HIM BUT HE WOULDN'T RESPECT ME. I WOULD FEEL SORRY FOR HIM. THE PEOPLE ARE NOT TO BLAME. IT IS THE REGIME. >> LOOK, TELL HIM THAT I KNOW
WHEN I GET A DIRECT ANSWER AND I KNOW WHEN I GET BULL --. AND THIS IS BULL --. IT WAS AS IF THEY HAD BEEN
SITTING IN BERLIN IN 1945 BEHIND GESTAPO HEADQUARTERS. IF A GERMAN HAD TOLD ME THE SAME
THING ABOUT SOME OF THE VICTIMS OF NAZIISM THAT ENDED UP IN THE
CONCENTRATION CAMPS AND TOLD ME POINT OF FACT GERMAN/JEWS WERE
TREATED BETTER. I'M NOT SURE THAT IS ACCURATE. IT SEEMED QUITE STRONG ENOUGH. IT SEEMED LIKE THE APPROPRIATE
EXPRESSION. I USED IT. MY PRODUCER TALKED ABOUT WHETHER
WE SHOULD PUT THAT IN. HE SAID, IT WAS JUST RIGHT WORD. >> FOLLOWING UP, NO BLACK
MANAGERS, GENERAL MANAGERS IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, HE
RESPONDED. >> THEY BELIEVE THEY MAY NOT
HAVE SOME OF THE SUBSIDIES TO BE A MANAGER OR PERHAPS A GENERAL
MANAGER. >> DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT? >> I DON'T SAY IT TO ALL OF
THEM. HOW MANY PITCHERS DO YOU HAVE
THAT ARE BLACK? >> I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THAT
SOUNDS LIKE SOME KIND OF GARBAGE WE HEARD 30 YEARS AGO ABOUT
PLAYERS. NO, NOT REALLY. REMEMBER THE DAYS WHEN FOOTBALL
WAS IN THE NEWS. THAT REALLY SOUNDS LIKE GARBAGE. >> IT IS NOT GARBAGE, IN KOPPEL. I PLAYED IN TEAMS THAT WERE
BLACK. THE TEAMMATES WERE BLACK. IT JUST MIGHT BE THAT IN THE
BLACK PEOPLE HAVE GOOD SWIMMERS, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE
BUCHLT OYANCY. >> THERE IS SOMETHING YOU NEED
TO UNDERSTAND. WE HAD INVITED HIM ON THE
PROGRAM, BECAUSE HE BACK IN THE LATE '40s, EARLY '50s, I FORGET
EXACTLY WHEN, WHEN BEEN -- WE BROUGHT IT ON BECAUSE HE WAS A
GUY AND THAT TOOK IN THOSE DAYS FOR A WHITE BALL PLAYER TO RUN
WITH A BLACK BALL PLAYER, IT WAS AN ACT OF COURAGE. IT WAS AN ACT OF GREAT DECENCY. SO, MY FIRST REACTION WAS JUST
ONE OF ABSOLUTE SHOCK. WE MET YEARS EARLIER. HE HEARD HE WAS IN LOS ANGELES
AND CALLED ME AND ASKED IF I WOULD MEET HIM FOR A CUP OF
COFFEE. I SAID SURE. I CAME DOWN FAIRLY HARD ON HIM
AFTER THAT STATEMENT. I TRIED TO GIVE HIM TWO OR THREE CHANCES TO ALTER IT. HE KEPT DIGGING HIMSELF IN
DEEPER AND DEEPER. PART OF THE PROBLEM WAS THAT HE
WAS SITTING AT HOME PLATE. IT WAS JUST AFTER A NIGHT GAME. HE HAD AN EARPIECE IN. HE COULDN'T SEE ME AT THE TIME. HE WAS A MAN WHO IN HIS '70s
WHO IT WAS ALSO A FUNCTION OF HIS GENERATION. TO TALK THAT WAY WOULD HAVE BEEN
PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE IN THE LOCAL PUB IN THE 1950s, OR EVEN
INTO THE '60s, OR THE '70s. IT WASN'T APPROPRIATE ANYMORE IN
1987. THEY HAD SOME OTHER OFFICIAL WHO
WOULD HAVE BEEN SMARTER, SMOOTHER, OR WOULD HAVE KNOWN
ENOUGH NOT TO SAY THAT. I FELT KIND OF SORRY FOR HIM. HE WAS A VERY DECENT MAN. AT THE TIME WHEN IT MEANT THE
MOST, HE WAS THERE AND HE QUITE LITERALLY AND FIGURE RA TIFFLY
STOOD UP AT THE PLATE. HE WAS THERE TO BE A FRIEND AS A
TEAMMATE TO JACQUE ROBINSON. I JUST COULDN'T LET HIM SAY
THOSE THINGS AND NOT CHALLENGE HIM ON THEM. A DAY OR TWO LATER, HE WAS
FIRED. >> WASN'T THERE A HAPPIER ENDING
THAT HAVE? WASN'T HARRY EVANS? >> HE CALLED AND HE WAS ASKED TO
DO SOME WORK WITH US AND WE DID SOME USEFUL WORK TOGETHER AND
THEY WERE PROUD OF IT. >> LOOKING BACK ON THE
TRANSCRIPT OF CAMPANIS, THEY WERE SEEKING TO PUT THE QUESTION
BACK ON YOUR DESK WHEN THEY ASKED HOW MANY BLACK ANCHORMEN
DO YOU HAVE? YOU ANSWERED, FORTUNATELY, THERE
ARE A FEW BLACK ANCHORMEN. IF YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU WHY
THERE AREN'T ANY BLACK EXECUTIVES, I AM NOT GOING TO
TELL YOU IT IS BECAUSE THE BLACKS AREN'T INTELLIGENT
ENOUGH. I AM GOING TO TELL YOU --
>> BECAUSE WHITES HAVE BEEN RUNNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
BROADCASTING, JUST AS THEY HAVE BEEN RUNNING THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF BASEBALL FOR TOO LONG AND SEEM TO BE RELUCTANT TO GIVE UP
POWER. THAT'S WHAT IT FINALLY BOILS
DOWN IT, ISN'T IT? I ASSUMED YOU WERE INCLUDING ALL
THE COMMERCIAL NETWORK NS THAT RESPONSE TO MR. COMPANIS
WERE YOU NOT INCLUDING ABC AT THAT TIME? >> NOT JUST AT THAT TIME. TO THIS DAY. IN SOME RESPECTS, IT REMAINS AS
MUCH OF AN ISSUE NOW AS IT WAS BACK IN 1987. LOOK WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT,
15 YEARS AGO. WHEN THEY HAD A BLAC EXECUTIVE
OR TWO AT ABC. IT IS STILL AN ISSUE FOR THE
SAME REASON. EACH GROUP TENDS TO PERPETUATE
ITSELF. THAT WAS BAD 50 YEARS
AGO, BAD 45 YEARS AGO AND IT IS BAD TODAY. >> I HOPE THIS IS NOT PRESUM
SHOOUS. ARE YOU ON ABC'S CASE ON THIS
SITUATION? >> NO. I'M NOT ON ABC'S CASE.
MY RESPONSIBILITY IS, AS THE ANCHOR OF
"NIGHTLINE." WE HAVE A LOT OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN
PROMINENT POSITION. >> LAST QUESTIONS, THE STATE OF BROADCAST JOURNALISM TODAY AT
KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, YOU
ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM STUDENTS AND THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE
INTEGRITY OF THE NEWS PRODUCT. YOU SAID I FREQUENTLY ARGUE THAT
TELEVISION JOURNALISM TODAY IS BETTER THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN,
SIMULTANEOUSLY, UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS ALSO WORSE THAN IT HAS
EVER BEEN. WE HAVE MORE GOOD JOURNALISM AND
BAD COEXISTING. PREQUENTLY, THE BAD DRIVES OUT
THE GOOD. HOW DO YOU DEFINE BAD AND HOW DO
YOU DEFINE GOOD. >> WELL, I THINK TELEVISION
JOURNALISM HAS A PROPENSITY TO GET INTO COMPETITION TO BE FIRST
WITH THE OBVIOUS. I THINK ALSO IN THE WAKE OF 60
MINUTES DEMONSTRATING THAT A NEWS PROGRAM CAN BE PROFITABLE,
IT HAS OVER THE 25 YEARS, BEEN AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF PRESSURE
FOR NEWS PROGRAMS TO MAKE MONEY. YOU DON'T MAKE MONEY FOR THE
MOST PART BY COVERING SUBJECTS LIKE THE ECONOMY, RACE RELATIONS
POLITICS, FOREIGN POLICY. THEY ARE MORE INCLINED TO COVER
MONICA LEWINSKY OR THE SKATING THEY ARE MORE INCLINED TO COVER
MONICA LEWINSKY OR THE SKATING STORY, WHO SMASHED HER
OPPONENT'S NEED OR THE O.J. SIMPSON STORY, THE BEAUTY QUEEN
THAT WAS MURDERED. THOSE KIND OF STORIES GET A TON
OF COVERAGE. LE SOME OF IT IS QUITE GOOD. A LOT OF IT IS QUITE DREADFUL. A LOT IS JUST AN EFFORT
TO REPORT WHAT HAS HAPPENED MOST RECENTLY. WHAT HAS HAPPENED MOST
RECENTLY IS NOT NECESSARILY WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT. JOURNALISM IS NOT COVERING AN
EVENT LIVE. THE ESSENCE OF JOURNALISM IS IN
THE EDITING PROCESS. THE ESSENCE OF JOURNALISM HAS TO
DO WITH SERVING THAT WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO THAT WHICH IS NOT,
FROM GETTING RID OF THE PREVIEW. WE TEND TO FOCUS ON THAT AND
IGNORE THE IMPORTANT. THERE ARE STILL A LOT
OF VERY GOOD TELEVISION PROGRAMS ON THE AIR. THERE ARE STILL P EXCELLENT
NEWSPAPERS BEING PUBLISHED. IN TERMS WHETHER THERE IS MORE
GOOD STUFF OR BAD STUFF, I WOULD SAY UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS MORE
BAD STUFF. >> DO YOU WANT TO SAY ANY BRAND
NAMES? >> FIRST OF ALL, I THINK
THE EVENING NEWS BROADCAST IS STILL VERY GOOD. I THINK PROGRAMS ARE CAPABLE OF
DOING VERY GOOD STUFF. THEY FEEL ENORMOUS COMPETITIVE
PRESSURE AND END UP IN STORIES I THINK THEY SHOULDN'T BE
TOUCHING. I THINK NPR NEWS AND ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED AND SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS ARE AMONG THE BEST
BROADCASTING I HAVE HEARD IN YEARS. THERE IS A
LOT OF GOOD STUFF. "NIGHTLINE" WAS A VERY GOOD
PROGRAM. ABC WAS WAITING TO MAKE THE
ATTEMPT TO LET THEM COME OVER. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, THEY
HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD TO "NIGHTLINE" FOR 22 PLUS YEARS. I THOUGHT THE FACT THAT P YOU
COULD SURVIVE IN TELEVISION. 22 YEARS IS A VERY, VERY LONG
TIME. >> IT WAS A
PLEASURE AND A PRIVILEGE OF DOING WHAT IS PERHAPS THE LAST COMPREHENSIVE
INTERVIEW WITH HOWARD K. SMITH, BEFORE HE PASSED, WE ASKED HIM
HOW HIS CAREER AT ABC ENDED. HE ANSWERED, THIS. >> I WAS RE-SIGNED WHEN HE WAS
THERE. I WAS 65. I DON'T THINK I HAD ANY PROSPECT
OF DOING ANYTHING BETTER. IT'S REALLY A RAT RACE. IT REALLY IS. YOU MAY KNOW BUT I CERTAINLY
KNOW THAT IT WAS HARD. UPS AND DOWNS. YOU CAN BECOME FAMOUS AND BE
THROWN OUT ALL IN 13 WEEKS. IT IS A GREAT STRAIN. TED KOPPEL SAID, IT IS TOO BAD
YOU CAN'T TAKE THE GOOD MOMENTS AND KEEP THEM IN A BOTTLE AND
USE THEM LATER ON. YOU CAN'T. IT IS TOO MUCH OF A STRAIN. I'M GLAD TO BE OUT OF IT. I HAD A BACKACHE. I WENT TO SEE DOCTORS MUCH OF MY
LIFE. WHEN I LEFT TELEVISION, SUDDENLY
I REALIZED I DIDN'T HAVE A BACK ANYMORE AND I HAVEN'T HAD ONE
SINCE. >> HOW IS YOUR BACK? >> MY BACK IS FINE. IT'S GOOD TO HEAR HOWARD AGAIN. HE WAS A DEAR MAN. >> FINALLY, I HAVE BEEN GO ALL
THE 40 YEARS AT ABC NEWS, YOU STILL HAVE THE SAME
PASSION WHEN YOU COME INTO THE STUDIO EACH DAY. >> I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE IT
BEHIND. >> IS IT NOW TIME TO SAY SOME OF
THOSE GOOD THINGS OUT OF THE BOTTLE OR IS IT A TIME FOR YOU
TO PUT GOOD THINGS INTO IT? >> I THINK WE ARE STILL FILLING
THE BOTTLE. AS LONG AS THERE IS STILL
EXTRAORDINARY MEN AND WOMEN TO COME AND WORK WITH ME AND AS
LONG AS WE CAN STILL KEEP DOING QUALITY PROGRAMMING AND AS LONG
AS SOMEONE IS STILL WILLING TO PAY ME AN OUTRAGEOUS SUM OF
MONEY TO TRAVEL TO PLACES I WANT TO VISIT AND TALK TO THE
PEOPLE I WANT TO TALK TO, I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS. ♪♪
♪♪
