ABC - KOPPEL SIGNS WITH BBC WORLD NEWS AMERICA

Stepping up its competition with the American all-news cable networks, BBC World News America announced Tuesdays that former ABC Nightline anchor Ted Koppel will become a regular contributor to its nightly broadcasts, which air on the BBC America channel and BBC World News channel. Rome Hartman, the former CBS Evening News producer who now oversees BBC World News America , said in a statement that Koppel's "knowledge and insight on everything, from China's economic development to the battle for the White House, is second to none and his analysis of stories and issues is razor-sharp." He indicated that Koppel would contribute to the BBC news program's coverage of the upcoming political conventions and presidential election. Koppel, who was born in the U.K. and became a naturalized U.S. citizen, praised the BBC for its unmatched worldwide coverage, adding: "To the degree that our future in this country is dependent to any extent on what's happening in the rest of the world -- which you won't hear about a great deal on the American networks -- then the BBC can be very, very helpful."

09/07/2008