Bill Small, the former Washington bureau chief for CBS News and president of NBC News, died Sunday in a New York hospital after a brief illness unrelated to the coronavirus, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced. He was 93.
Small led CBS' news operations in the nation's capital from 1962-74. He recruited Eric Sevareid, Marvin Kalb, Daniel Schorr, Harry Reasoner and Dan Rather from within the division and gave many producers and reporters their first commercial network news positions; those included Bob Schieffer, Ed Bradley, Bernard Shaw, Bill Moyers, Bernard Kalb and Tom Bettag.
Meanwhile, Diane ...
Small led CBS' news operations in the nation's capital from 1962-74. He recruited Eric Sevareid, Marvin Kalb, Daniel Schorr, Harry Reasoner and Dan Rather from within the division and gave many producers and reporters their first commercial network news positions; those included Bob Schieffer, Ed Bradley, Bernard Shaw, Bill Moyers, Bernard Kalb and Tom Bettag.
Meanwhile, Diane ...
- 5/25/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
“Nightline” is no longer being tailored solely for late-night newshounds.
The venerable ABC News show, which has its roots in the network’s end-of-day coverage of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, is quietly branching out to new venues. On Monday evening, Freeform, the cable network that is, like ABC, part of Walt Disney Co., will show “For Our Lives: Parkland,” a “Nightline” documentary that follows the lives of several students in the aftermath of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Executive producer Steven Baker feels there’s more “Nightline” can do. “’Nightline’ is more than just a time slot,” he says. “This is a brand that tells stories, no matter where it is seen.”
The hour long-special marks the first time “Nightline” and Freeform have partnered on a project. “Nightline” producers were able to embed themselves with some of the Parkland students, and not just at school events or demonstrations.
The venerable ABC News show, which has its roots in the network’s end-of-day coverage of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, is quietly branching out to new venues. On Monday evening, Freeform, the cable network that is, like ABC, part of Walt Disney Co., will show “For Our Lives: Parkland,” a “Nightline” documentary that follows the lives of several students in the aftermath of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Executive producer Steven Baker feels there’s more “Nightline” can do. “’Nightline’ is more than just a time slot,” he says. “This is a brand that tells stories, no matter where it is seen.”
The hour long-special marks the first time “Nightline” and Freeform have partnered on a project. “Nightline” producers were able to embed themselves with some of the Parkland students, and not just at school events or demonstrations.
- 4/30/2018
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Veteran news producer Tom Bettag joins CNN Worldwide as senior executive producer of "State of the Union with Candy Crowley" and "Reliable Sources."
Bettag will oversee the Sunday public affairs programming lineup, effective immediately.
Crowley took over the anchor chair on "State" this month as the program's length was cut down from four hours to one.
In Bettag's more than four decades in journalism, he has served as executive producer of "CBS Evening News With Dan Rather," of ABC's "Nightline With Ted Koppel" and of "Koppel on Discovery" on the Discovery Channel.
Bettag will oversee the Sunday public affairs programming lineup, effective immediately.
Crowley took over the anchor chair on "State" this month as the program's length was cut down from four hours to one.
In Bettag's more than four decades in journalism, he has served as executive producer of "CBS Evening News With Dan Rather," of ABC's "Nightline With Ted Koppel" and of "Koppel on Discovery" on the Discovery Channel.
- 2/12/2010
- by By Nellie Andreeva
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Dylan Stableford
CNN -- a network whose recent alliance with Vice caused a spittake on the Web -- has hired a veteran TV news guy for its newest anchor.
Tom Bettag, Ted Koppel's longtime producer, is joining CNN to oversee Candy Crowley's "State of the Union," which Crowley took over a month ago.
Bettag's official title will be senior executive producer of both "State of the Union" and "Reliable Sources." He "will oversee the Sunday public affairs programming lineup, effective immediately," the cable network said.
According to Politico, Bettag and...
CNN -- a network whose recent alliance with Vice caused a spittake on the Web -- has hired a veteran TV news guy for its newest anchor.
Tom Bettag, Ted Koppel's longtime producer, is joining CNN to oversee Candy Crowley's "State of the Union," which Crowley took over a month ago.
Bettag's official title will be senior executive producer of both "State of the Union" and "Reliable Sources." He "will oversee the Sunday public affairs programming lineup, effective immediately," the cable network said.
According to Politico, Bettag and...
- 2/12/2010
- by Dylan Stableford
- The Wrap
NEW YORK -- A little more than a month after retiring from a 42-year career at ABC News, Ted Koppel and his team are diving back into journalism with both feet with a multiyear agreement to produce longform work for Discovery Network. Terms of the deal -- which includes the former "Nightline" host, his executive producer and friend Tom Bettag, and eight other staff members -- weren't announced, but it defied conventional wisdom that had Koppel & Co. signing with HBO. While sources said that deal was still on the table, Discovery swooped in over the past month and made what was called "ardent wooing" to make the deal. The first longform programming from the team could appear on Discovery in late summer or fall, though both Bettag and Koppel will take some time off before starting to work in the spring. The other ex-"Nightline" employees, one assistant each for Koppel and Bettag, a research assistant and the rest producers, will begin work immediately.
NEW YORK -- A little more than a month after retiring from a 42-year career at ABC News, Ted Koppel and his team are diving back into journalism with both feet with a multiyear agreement to produce longform work for Discovery Network. Terms of the deal -- which includes the former "Nightline" host, his executive producer and friend Tom Bettag, and eight other staff members -- weren't announced, but it defied conventional wisdom that had Koppel & Co. signing with HBO. While sources said that deal was still on the table, Discovery swooped in over the past month and made what was called "ardent wooing" to make the deal. The first longform programming from the team could appear on Discovery in late summer or fall, though both Bettag and Koppel will take some time off before starting to work in the spring. The other ex-"Nightline" employees, one assistant each for Koppel and Bettag, a research assistant and the rest producers, will begin work immediately.
NEW YORK -- The new executive producer of Nightline hopes that the revamped show will get a fair shake in the weeks after its debut Monday. "There are many people out there who are looking to prejudge this show," said James Goldston, the veteran British news producer who was named in July to take over for Tom Bettag. "Will this remain true to 'Nightline'? All I would say is that I'd like the show to be judged on what we do rather than a theoretical version of what we might do." Since longtime host Ted Koppel announced he would sign off after 26 years, much ink has been spilled about the future of Nightline. And while Goldston said he would take the transition as an opportunity to "modernize the show" in format and look, he also said it would remain a place for "thought-provoking journalism."...
- 11/21/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
WASHINGTON -- At a party Wednesday night honoring his 42 years at ABC News, Ted Koppel brought together the past and the future of Nightline on stage with him. The party at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts brought together several hundred people from Koppel's past -- stars in the news business such as Barbara Walters, Dan Rather, Tim Russert and Charlie Gibson -- as well as current and former interns, producers and directors of ABC News' signature late-night program. Koppel formed a kind of bridge between the past and the future for the show, asking four Nightline executive producers -- William Lord, Rick Kaplan, Tom Bettag and Leroy Sievers -- to join him on the podium. Each got a round of applause.
- 11/17/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- For his last Nightline on Nov. 22, ABC's Ted Koppel won't take a comprehensive look back at his career but instead feature an interview with Tuesdays With Morrie author Mitch Albom talking about one of Koppel's favorite interview subjects, Morrie Schwartz. Nightline executive producer Tom Bettag said Friday that there wouldn't be a collection of Koppel's "greatest hits" during that last show. Instead, it will be an interview with Albom interspersed with clips from interviews Koppel did with the college professor in 1995, when Schwartz was dying of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. "It's Ted and Mitch talking about what Morrie taught them and intercut with the best of Morrie," Bettag said. The interview was done several months ago; it's still not clear how long Koppel's final Nightline will last.
- 11/7/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- For his last Nightline on Nov. 22, ABC's Ted Koppel won't take a comprehensive look back at his career but instead feature an interview with Tuesdays With Morrie author Mitch Albom talking about one of Koppel's favorite interview subjects, Morrie Schwartz. Nightline executive producer Tom Bettag said Friday that there wouldn't be a collection of Koppel's "greatest hits" during that last show. Instead, it will be an interview with Albom interspersed with clips from interviews Koppel did with the college professor in 1995, when Schwartz was dying of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. "It's Ted and Mitch talking about what Morrie taught them and intercut with the best of Morrie," Bettag said. The interview was done several months ago; it's still not clear how long Koppel's final Nightline will last.
- 11/7/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- As Nightline heads into the post-Ted Koppel era, its new executive producer said the show will continue to live up its reputation as it moves to a multianchor, multitopic format. After months of on-air experimenting as well as some of the show's finest work under Koppel and current executive producer Tom Bettag, ABC News unveiled the new Nightline co-anchors: Martin Bashir, Cynthia McFadden and Terry Moran. Beginning Nov. 28, Bashir and McFadden will anchor live from New York and Moran from Washington. Koppel and Bettag leave Nov. 22 after the former's 42-year career with ABC News, including 25 years as anchor of Nightline. "This is no attempt to move away from the great tradition of 'Nightline, '" said James Goldston, the British TV veteran who was named as executive producer of the show in July. In the past several months, Goldston and ABC News have been reworking the show to include more multitopic programs and trying to bring back the large audience it once had as the smart, newsy alternative to the late-night talk shows. Nightline touched that briefly a few months ago, when it won its time period for its coverage of Hurricane Katrina.
- 10/17/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- As Nightline heads into the post-Ted Koppel era, its new executive producer said the show will continue to live up its reputation as it moves to a multianchor, multitopic format. After months of on-air experimenting as well as some of the show's finest work under Koppel and current executive producer Tom Bettag, ABC News unveiled the new Nightline co-anchors: Martin Bashir, Cynthia McFadden and Terry Moran. Beginning Nov. 28, Bashir and McFadden will anchor live from New York and Moran from Washington. Koppel and Bettag leave Nov. 22 after the former's 42-year career with ABC News, including 25 years as anchor of Nightline. "This is no attempt to move away from the great tradition of 'Nightline, '" said James Goldston, the British TV veteran who was named as executive producer of the show in July. In the past several months, Goldston and ABC News have been reworking the show to include more multitopic programs and trying to bring back the large audience it once had as the smart, newsy alternative to the late-night talk shows. Nightline touched that briefly a few months ago, when it won its time period for its coverage of Hurricane Katrina.
- 10/17/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Former BBC producer James Goldston has been named executive producer of Nightline ahead of the planned departure of Tom Bettag later this year. Goldston joined ABC last year as senior producer of primetime specials and investigative reports following a career in British television. Most recently he was executive producer of ITV1's Tonight with Trevor McDonald but has also been a producer at Newsnight, a BBC show that is a lot like Nightline. Thursday's announcement is aimed at remaking Nightline, which will lose not only Bettag but host Ted Koppel by the end of the year. Nightline recently marked its 25th anniversary but ABC executives have been thinking of ways to gain more viewers. Over the past year, ABC has done at least one unaired pilot and recently began experimenting with multisegment shows in the three nights that Koppel isn't on the air.
- 7/29/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Former BBC producer James Goldston has been named executive producer of Nightline ahead of the planned departure of Tom Bettag later this year. Goldston joined ABC last year as senior producer of primetime specials and investigative reports following a career in British television. Most recently he was executive producer of ITV1's Tonight with Trevor McDonald but has also been a producer at Newsnight, a BBC show that is a lot like Nightline. Thursday's announcement is aimed at remaking Nightline, which will lose not only Bettag but host Ted Koppel by the end of the year. Nightline recently marked its 25th anniversary but ABC executives have been thinking of ways to gain more viewers. Over the past year, ABC has done at least one unaired pilot and recently began experimenting with multisegment shows in the three nights that Koppel isn't on the air.
- 7/28/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- ABC News has tapped Katherine O'Hearn to lead the network's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos." O'Hearn, who had been at ABC News for 17 years, most recently was executive producer of CNBC's ratings-challenged Topic A With Tina Brown. That talk show recently was canceled after Brown got a book contract for a bio about Princess Diana. The This Week role hadn't been filled since December, when Tom Bettag left to return to Nightline in what eventually turned out to be the last year at ABC for Bettag and Ted Koppel. This Week senior producer Richard Harris and Virginia Moseley had been filling in at This Week. Harris will return to Nightline, and Moseley will remain with This Week as a consultant, the network said. And while This Week is locked in a ratings battle for second place with CBS' Face the Nation -- and competition, particularly in Washington, with Fox News Sunday -- ABC doesn't expect wholesale changes for the show with O'Hearn's appointment. The network points out the ratings have stayed relatively even. O'Hearn was with Topic A since it started in 2003 and created CNN's American Morning in 2001. She held other positions at CNN after a 17-year career at ABC, where she was executive producer of the weekend World News Tonight from 1996-2000.
- 5/23/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- The two men responsible for ABC's Nightline -- host Ted Koppel and executive producer Tom Bettag -- say they're leaving later this year knowing that the show will continue after they're gone. But at a joint public appearance Monday night at the Museum of Television and Radio celebrating Nightline's 25th anniversary, neither spoke specifically about their next step in journalism. Koppel and Bettag -- who have decades of broadcast journalism under their belts -- have said they want to pursue quality journalism and are weighing offers. "The good news is that 'Nightline' will continue without Ted and Tom, which is one of the dreams that we had," Bettag said. Koppel said that in contract negotiations five years ago, it was always the intention to gradually wean both of them away from the program, with Bettag training his successor and Koppel having a hand in picking his and going from three nights a week as host to two and then one by the end of this year.
- 5/10/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- After 25 years and more than 6,000 broadcasts, Nightline anchor Ted Koppel will leave the show and ABC News when his contract ends Dec. 4. Koppel and his longtime executive producer, Tom Bettag, turned down ABC's request to helm what could become an hourlong Nightline and didn't want to move to ABC's This Week, either. Bettag's contract runs out within a few days of Koppel's; the two plan to continue their 14-year partnership in an as-yet-undetermined place. Koppel's departure from ABC after 42 years wasn't too much of a surprise after ABC's attempt to lure David Letterman to the network three years ago and, more recently, ABC News' consideration of a younger, hipper Nightline. Bettag returned to the show late last year after the departure of Leroy Sievers. But ABC News and Bettag gave no indication of anything but an amicable split.
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