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Murphy Martin Commentary
August 18, 2005

 "Network News Anchors"

Television network news anchor-persons are again in the spotlight following the loss of Peter Jennings to lung cancer. Of the big three, NBC-TV, ABC-TV, and CBS-TV, only NBC-TV has an anchor-person they chose before their anchor chair became vacated.  Long before Tom Brokaw retired last December, NBC-TV had chosen Brian Williams as his successor. The transition was smooth and NBC-TV, with Williams, continues to lead the ratings, just as they did with Brokaw. Also, ABC-TV, which was second in the ratings when Jennings stepped down in April to combat lung cancer, retained that spot with substitute anchors Charles Gibson and Elizabeth Vargas filling in the last five-months.

ABC-TV and CBS-TV, seemingly without a plan of succession as NBC-TV had, face the task of naming new people to permanently fill the slots left open by the resignation of Dan Rather at CBS-TV and the death of Jennings at ABC-TV. Bob Schieffer would probably be a good choice to make his temporary assignment in the Rather seat permanent if he chose to do so, but Schieffer is approaching 70-years of age and reportedly is thinking more about slowing down than increasing his workload to the level anchors require.

Could it be the top news decision-makers at the Big Three television networks are
thinking of new formats rather than just replacement anchors? Some, whose job it is to critique network news have already been asking: "Are the days of big anchors with big salaries necessary anymore?" Statements like these may be the reason network news officials are reportedly discussing new formats. Analysts today are saying it is no longer necessary to spend a lot of money on television news stars and some even question the networks airing their prime television news programs at the dinner hour. Long-range plans are said to include use of stories on broadband Internet sites.

Decisions regarding what happens to network television news are also colored by the continued increase in profits from morning network news programs. The Today Show still leads in the ratings battle, but ABC continues to narrow the gap from its' second place and CBS is third. At all three networks, the bean-counters are quick to note increasing profits from the morning news programs. If those profits continue to climb, will someone say "should we think about making these our primary focus?" Ken Auletta, the New Yorker media writer was quoted this week in USA Today as saying: "Are we moving into a new era where 'authority' matters less in the evening because the evening news matters less?"

Not lost in considerations regarding the future of network television news is regaining
the level of trust viewers once had in network news.

When I think of the loss of trust in the media I am reminded of what Chet Huntley once told me after he left the anchor desk at NBC-TV. He said "Heaven help us if the American people ever get to the point where they will not believe the press. If there is a credibility gap, if they heartily dislike it, or reject it completely, that would be tragic. Because if we stop to think about it, the national press -- including print, radio, and television --- is the only thing there is. There's no other alternative to the business of letting people know what their leaders and idea-makers are saying and doing." And Huntley also added, "Murphy, sometimes a piece of news comes in and it absolutely kills me to be objective about it because my conviction runs so strong the other way. Sometimes you have to repeat something with a straight face and cool demeanor that you are convinced is a downright lie. But if you are doing news, you've got to go ahead and say it and give all sides and all sections of opinion a fair shake."

Yes, tough decisions have to be made regarding the future of network television news, it's growth on the Internet, how to regain lost sets in use, how to regain that trust Chet Huntley and many others have been concerned about for a very long time.

While those tough decisions are being made for the long-term, for the immediate future someone will be named to replace Jennings and the search for a permanent replacement for Dan Rather will continue.. Until those two spots are filled, we will continue to see Charles Gibson and Elizabeth Vargas alternating in the World News Tonight slot at ABC and Bob Schieffer will continue his very capable job as a temporary replacement for Dan Rather.


Murphy Martin

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Previous commentaries:
August 11 - "Now All Three Are Gone"
August 4 - "Trust in the Media"
July 28 - "Television Then and Now"
July 21 -  "The Mick"
July 14 - "Forty Years and Counting"