I was never much of a fan of ABC News. Even when the station I worked for, News10, transitioned from CBS to ABC in the mid-90s, I still would switch back to CBS (or sometimes NBC) when I watched the evening newscast. The reporters on CBS seemed more experienced and savvy, and the anchors at ABC seemed self-indulgent (especially Peter Jennings).
That all changed dramatically two years ago when Charles Gibson was selected to be the latest in a string of anchors to have been pushed through the revolving door at ABC. With Mr. Gibson, there were no gimmicks. There was no air of superiority. Here was an incredibly seasoned and intelligent newsman who had the ability (I guess you might say talent, though I don't particularly like that word when it comes to describing news reporters) to make sense out of what was happening in the world in his own folksy way. I sometimes told my colleagues that Mr. Gibson was the Walter Cronkite of a new generation (if only that generation still got its news from the half hour evening newscasts).
Though I had long ago stopped being a regular viewer of the evening network newscasts, that changed with Mr. Gibson. I recorded each broadcast, and zapping through commercials, would watch the 22 minutes of the most important news of the day. Especially living in a foreign country, it took on new significance and for the first time, became "appointment" television for me.
Tonight, Charlie Gibson anchors his final newscast before heading off into retirement. This week, ABC has presented some of the highlights of his 30+ year distinguished career at the network. Though he somewhat sheepishly introduced the segments each evening, it was evident that he not only was deservedly proud of his accomplishments during his career, but he truly enjoyed what he did. As he put it, it really is the best job in the world.
As he departs, he creates a void in the evening news arena. While Katie Couric and Diane Sawyer are likewise experienced, neither has cultivated the aura of authority associated with the leader of a news organization. And Brian Williams, whose NBC Nightly News is the top rated network newscast, still comes off as the epitome of the news anchor caricature .
If I were Mr. Gibson, I'd be doing the same thing. At age 66, leaving while on top, looking forward to what hopefully will be many years of a healthy happy retirement. And while I wish him well , selfishly I also wish his tenure would have spanned more than two and a half years. Because come Monday, the delivery of news in America will not be the same.
2 comments:
Hey Dan, I felt the same way when Peter Jennings left the anchor desk and later passed away from cancer. He was a great journalist. Joe and I had the chance to observe Good Morning America in NYC and met Charlie and Diane. I have to say, my experience with him was less than pleasant and some of the staff behind the scenes that I respect said they didn't particularly like working with him. Hearing their distaste and under-the-breath comments really spoke volumes for me. A good journalist, in my opinion, starts with a good person ... and if your staff is bad-mouthing you, that's sad.
I have to say that I will now start watching World News Tonight because Diane is there. I've met her several times on stories and she's been nothing but gracious. Her staff loves her. That's enough to make me watch.
Hope all is well. Have a great holiday!
Thanks for the insight, Kelly. My DVR will still be set to ABC news come Monday evening. I feel it's only fair to give Diane a chance.
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