TED KOPPEL TO STEP DOWN IN NOVEMBER

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The number of vacant network news anchor positions continues to rise with the news that Ted Koppel will stand down from his late-night ABC show Nightline earlier than expected. Mr. Koppel, who was named Nightline's anchor when the show was introduced in March 1980, is due to turn off the lights at the Washington-based studio Nov. 22. His contract was set to expire Dec. 4. When the program resumes Nov. 28, ABC news executives said Nightline will tackle multiple topics and be filmed from New York and Washington. Among the names being mentioned to take over for Mr. Koppel include Cynthia McFadden, who hosts ABC?s Primetime; ABC White House correspondent Terry Moran; and British journalist Martin Bashir, who works on ABC news program 20/20. An ABC spokesman said an announcement was expected soon. The Walt Disney Co. network has yet to name a replacement for the evening news anchor Peter Jennings, who died in August after a four-month battle with cancer, while CBS has yet to announce a permanent replacement for its former evening news anchor, Dan Rather.

TED KOPPEL TO STEP DOWN IN NOVEMBER

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