News on News - ABC

ABC World News Further Closes Gap with NBC Nightly News

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:27:08 +0000

For the week of April 9, 2012, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer averaged 7.20 million Total Viewers and a 1.6 rating/6 share/1.92 million in Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen Media Research.

World News improved week-to-week by +5% in Total Viewers and by +9% in Adults 25-54 (6.84 million and 1.75 million, respectively, on w/o 4/2/12), drawing the ABC evening newscast’s strongest news demo performance in 5 weeks – since w/o 3/5/12.

“World News” cut its week-to-week Total Viewer gap with “Nightly News” by -13% ( 957,000 vs. 1.09 million).

Compared to the year-ago week, “World News” narrowed its Total Viewer margin by -7% (957,000 vs. 1.03 million), while slashing its Adults 25-54 gap by half (-50% – 285,000 vs. 574,000). In fact, “World News” has decreased its year-to-year news demo gap with “Nightly News” by double-digits for the 6th straight week and in 7 of the last 8.

Season to date, “World News” has narrowed the gaps with “NBC Nightly News” among both Total Viewers (-2%) and Adults 25-54 (-20%), posting its smallest Total Viewer (1.09 million) and news demo margins (370,000) with the NBC program in 3 years – since the 2008-09 season.

“World News” outperformed “CBS Evening News” by 1.26 million Total Viewers and by 101,000 Adults 25-54.

“ABC World News with Diane Sawyer” airs at 6:30 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network. Michael Corn is the executive producer of the broadcast.

Diane Sawyer to Exclusively Interview Mitt Romney April 16th

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:00:46 +0000

On Monday, April 16 the presumptive Republican nominee for President, Mitt Romney, will speak to ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer in an exclusive interview.

With a clear lead among convention delegates, the former Massachusetts Governor is turning his attention from his Republican rivals to President Obama. In an election year with so much on the line, Sawyer’s wide-ranging interview will cover the topics that matter most to voters including the economy, health care, and taxes among other campaign issues. In addition, Ann Romney will join her husband for a special conversation with Sawyer. This marks the couple’s first joint network interview of the election year.

The exclusive network interview will take place at Fenway Park and will air Monday, April 16 first on “World News with Diane Sawyer” with the extended interview airing on “Nightline.” Portions of the interview will also be featured across ABC News broadcasts and platforms including “Good Morning America,” ABCNews.com, the Newsmakers series on Yahoo!, OTUSNews.com, ABC News Radio, and ABC NewsOne.

“ABC World News with Diane Sawyer” airs nationally at 6:30pm/ET on the ABC Television Network and in Boston, Massachusetts on Channel 5 (WCVB-TV) at 6:30pm/ET and on New Hampshire’s WMUR-TV. Michael Corn is the executive producer of the broadcast.

Nightline Remains Top for Week of April 2nd

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:55:54 +0000

ABC’s Nightline stood as the No. 1 program in latenight for the 2nd week in a row in all key target demos: Total Viewers (3.951 million), Adults 25-54 (1.437 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.095 million), for the week of April 2, 2012, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Nightline has ranked No. 1 in all 3 measures for the 5th time in the last 6 weeks.

Season to date, Nightline ranks No. 1 in latenight among Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49, ahead of both NBC’s The Tonight Show and CBS’ The Late Show. This marks the 2nd straight year that the ABC program is taking the top spot in overall viewers and in the key adult news demo.

Note: Due to CBS’ coverage of NCAA Basketball, The Late Show was delayed and coded as a special on Monday (4/2/12). In addition, due to CBS’ airing of Masters Tournament Golf Highlights on Thursday (4/5/12) and Friday (4/6/12), The Late Show was delayed and re-titled. Ratings for all 3 nights are excluded from the averages.

ABC News’ Nightline is anchored by Cynthia McFadden, Terry Moran and Bill Weir. Juju Chang is a correspondent. Jeanmarie Condon is the Executive Producer. The program airs weeknights from 11:35 p.m., ET to 12:00 a.m. on the ABC Television Network.

ABC to Ensure General Hospital Hits the 50 Year Mark

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:39:25 +0000

ABC has re-commissioned 'General Hospital' for the next season, ensuring that the show airs for the 50th consecutive season.

Brian Stelter of the New York Times broke the story on his Media Decoder blog saying;

"ABC said Wednesday that it had renewed “General Hospital” for another season, putting to rest the fears of fans about the fate of the soap opera.

"A lower-rated show, “The Revolution,” met a very different fate on Wednesday. The daytime talk show was canceled, with the network stating that it will end its run at the beginning of July. The moves were first reported by Deadline Hollywood, which noted that “General Hospital” would “celebrate its 50th anniversary next April.”"

ABC News Honoured by Society of Professional Journalists with Three Awards

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:31:55 +0000

ABC News is being honored by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) with three Sigma Delta Chi Awards in the categories of “Breaking News,” “Investigative Reporting,” and “Online Investigative Reporting.”

“World News with Diane Sawyer” won the award for “Breaking News” for its special coverage “Disaster in the Pacific.” In the early hours of March 11, 2011, Americans woke to the news that a shattering 8.9 magnitude earthquake, followed by a deadly massive tsunami, had devastated Japan, upending the lives of millions and leaving tens of thousands of people dead, missing or homeless. The natural disaster was quickly followed by the equally terrifying potential of a nuclear disaster with news that tsunami had left the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear plant severely damaged. Diane Sawyer was the only evening news anchor to broadcast from Japan; she was joined by a team of correspondents and anchors that included “World News” weekend anchor David Muir, global affairs anchor Christiane Amanpour, and “Nightline” anchor Bill Weir.

In addition, Brian Ross and the ABC News investigative team are being recognized in the “Investigative Reporting” category for their widely praised report “Peace Corps: A Trust Betrayed.” The three-part investigation that aired on ABC’s primetime newsmagazine “20/20″ last year led to historic change including a new law to protect Peace Corps volunteers signed by President Obama in November 2011. The Peace Corps investigation led by Brian Ross and produced by Anna Schecter, Angela Hill, and chief investigative producer Rhonda Schwartz has been recognized with several prestigious awards this year including:

- Peabody Award
- George Polk Award
- Investigative Reporters and Editors Award (IRE)
- Gracie Award
- SPJ Sigma Delta Chi Award

Plus, the investigative unit’s joint report with the Center for Public Integrity won the SPJ award for “Online Investigative Reporting” for their investigative report “Green Energy: Contracts, Connections and the Collapse of Solyndra.” Working as joint reporting partners, CPI and ABC News tied major donors to President Obama to lucrative green energy contracts for everything from electric cars to diesel substitutes. This report was led by Brian Ross along with Matthew Mosk and Mark Schone, digital managing editor of ABCNews.com’s “Blotter” page.

ABC World News Cuts Demo Gap with NBC Week-to-week

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:10:33 +0000

For the week of April 2, 2012, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer averaged 6.84 million Total Viewers and a 1.5 rating/6 share/1.75 million in Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen Media Research.

For the 2nd week in a row, World News narrowed its Adults 25-54 margin with Nightly News versus the prior week (-2% – 286,000 vs. 292,000).

World News cut its year-to-year Adults 25-54 gap with Nightly News by -33% (286,000 vs. 426,000), narrowing its year-ago news demo margin by double-digits for the 5th straight week.

Season to date, World News has narrowed the gaps with NBC Nightly News among both Total Viewers (-2%) and Adults 25-54 (-19%), posting its smallest Total Viewer (1.09 million) and news demo margins (372,000) with the NBC program in 3 years – since the 2008-09 season.

ABC World News defeated the CBS Evening News by 996,000 Total Viewers and by 14,000 Adults 25-54.

ABC World News with Diane Sawyer airs at 6:30 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network. Michael Corn is the executive producer of the broadcast.

Good Morning America Continues to Close Gap with NBC Today

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:58:44 +0000

ABC News’ Good Morning America drew 4.899 million Total Viewers and 1.829 million Adults 25-54 for the week of April 2, 2012.

GMA grew its Total Viewer count for the 3rd week in a row (4.861 million on w/o 3/26/12) to draw its largest overall audience in 4 weeks – since w/o 3/5/12.

GMA was up year-to-year by +2% in Total Viewers and by +3% in Adults 25-54 (4.799 million and 1.784 million, respectively, on w/o 4/4/11), while NBC’s Today (-5%/12%) saw decreases.

On Wednesday (4/4/12) GMA ranked as the No. 1 morning newscast in Total Viewers, outdrawing NBC’s Today by +87,000 (5.236 million vs. 5.149 million). On Friday (4/6/12) GMA was on par with Today’s performance in Total Viewers, behind by only 25,000 (4.694 million vs. 4.719 million).

Year-to-year GMA slashed its gaps with Today by more than half in both Total Viewers (-63% – 210,000 vs. 567,000) and Adults 25-54 (-53% – 306,000 vs. 649,000). In fact, in the last 4 weeks GMA has turned in its 4 smallest weekly news demo gaps with NBC’s Today in nearly 4 years – since w/o 7/21/08. Further, GMA has cut its year-to-year Adults 25-54 margin with the NBC program by double digits in the last 14 weeks, and in 28 of 29 weeks this season.

Season to date GMA narrowed its gaps in both Total Viewers (-38%) and Adults 25-54 (-42%) versus its year-ago season gaps. In fact GMA is posting its smallest Total Viewer (501,000) and Adults 25-54 (437,000) margins with Today in 16 years – since the 1995-96 Season.

Season to date GMA is improving in Total Viewers (+5%) and Adults 25-54 (+8%) versus its year-ago averages, while NBC’s Today is down (-2%/-7%, respectively). GMA is seeing its largest overall season audience in 5 years, since 2006-07.

ABC World News Closes Gap with NBC for Week of March 26th

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:12:05 +0000

For the week of March 26, 2012, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer averaged 7.12 million Total Viewers and a 1.6 rating/6 share/1.91 million in Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen Media Research.

World News posted week-to-week increases in Total Viewers (+1%) and Adults 25-54 (+3%), standing as the only evening news broadcast to grow over the previous week in both Nielsen measures (“NBC Nightly News:” -3%/-5%; “CBS Evening News:” -4%/+1%).

“World News” slashed its week-to-week margins with “Nightly News” in both Total Viewers (-27% – 874,000 vs. 1.20 million) and Adults 25-54 (-37% – 292,000 vs. 467,000).

Year-to-year, “World News” cut its gaps with “Nightly News” by -2% in Total Viewers (874,000 vs. 891,000) and by -34% in Adults 25-54 (292,000 vs. 442,000), shrinking its year-ago news demo margin with the NBC program by double-digits for the 4th week in a row.

Season-to-date, “World News” has narrowed the gaps with “NBC Nightly News” among both Total Viewers (-5%) and Adults 25-54 (-19%), posting its smallest Total Viewer (1.09 million) and news demo margins (373,000) with the NBC program in 3 years – since the 2008-09 season.

ABC World News outperformed the “CBS Evening News” by 1.32 million Total Viewers and by 233,000 Adults 25-54.

ABC World News with Diane Sawyer airs at 6:30 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network. Michael Corn is the executive producer of the broadcast.

Jake Tapper Awarded Merriman Smith Award for Third Straight Year

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:06:04 +0000

The White House Correspondents’ Association awarded ABC News’ Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper the Merriman Smith Award for Broadcast Excellence in Presidential Coverage for a remarkable third year in a row.

Tapper was recognized for his breaking coverage of the Standard and Poor’s decision to downgrade the U.S. credit rating, which he broke first on ABCNews.com’s “Political Punch” blog and shortly after on “World News with Diane Sawyer.” The ABC News audience was given first access to every development and the administration reaction as the decision unfolded.

“As a three-peat recipient of the White House Press Corps’ most prestigious award, Jake Tapper sets the pace and standard for all journalists in Washington,” said ABC News President Ben Sherwood. “A modern news machine, Jake keeps newsmakers honest and his audience informed around-the-clock. We are thrilled that Jake has been recognized again for his excellence and scoops.”

Tapper is likely the first member of the White House press corps to receive the honor for the third consecutive year. In 2011, he was recognized for breaking the news that President Obama would imminently ask National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair to resign. In 2010, he took home the coveted prize for uncovering Senator Tom Daschle’s tax problems that eventually derailed Daschle’s nomination to become secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The White House Correspondents’ Association will present Tapper with the award for broadcast coverage at their annual dinner in Washington, DC on Saturday, April 28, 2012.

ABC World News Cuts Weekly Viewing with NBC to Smallest Margins in Nearly 3 Months

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:02:55 +0000

For the week of March 12, 2012, “ABC World News with Diane Sawyer” averaged 7.30 million Total Viewers and a 1.6 rating/6 share/1.88 million in Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen Media Research.

For the 2nd consecutive week, “World News” cut its weekly margins with “NBC Nightly News” by double-digits among both Total Viewers (-41% – 798,000 vs. 1.35 million) and Adults 25-54 (-50% – 213,000 vs. 424,000), turning in its smallest margins with the NBC newscast in nearly 3 months - since w/o 12/26/11.

Compared to the year-ago week, “World News” slashed its gaps with “Nightly News” by -33% in Total Viewers (798,000 vs. 1.20 million) and by -63% in Adults 25-54 (213,000 vs. 575,000).

Season-to-date, “World News” has narrowed the gaps with “NBC Nightly News” among both Total Viewers (-6%) and Adults 25-54 (-19%), posting its smallest Total Viewer (1.09 million) and news demo margins (371,000) with the NBC program in 3 years – since the 2008-09 season.

“ABC World News” outdrew the “CBS Evening News” by 1.42 million Total Viewers and by 196,000 Adults 25-54, posting its largest Total Viewer lead in 6 weeks - since w/o 1/30/12.

Note: For the first week of Daylight Saving Time, the 6:30p-7p Households using television (HUT) level was down -7% week to week, while the People Using Television (PUT) levels among Adults 25-54 was down -8% and Total Viewers down -8%. “CBS Evening News” aired with low coverage and was broken out on Thu 3/15/12 (79%) and Fri 3/16/12 (79%) due to NCAA Basketball and was retitled “CBS-Evening-Nws;” ratings for both days were excluded from the average. ”World News” and “Nightly News” averages were based on 5 days.

“ABC World News with Diane Sawyer” airs at 6:30 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network. Michael Corn is the executive producer of the broadcast.

Nightline Ranks as the No. 1 Program in Latenight for the 2nd Straight Week

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 23:46:46 +0000

For the week of March 5, 2012, ABC’s Nightline ranked as the No. 1 program in latenight for the 2nd straight week across all target demos: Total Viewers (3.731 million), Adults 25-54 (1.432 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.047 million), according to Nielsen Media Research.

In fact, the ABC program has taken the top spot for the 3rd time in the last 4 weeks in all 3 measures.

Season to date, “Nightline” ranks No. 1 in latenight among Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49, ahead of both NBC’s “The Tonight Show” and CBS’ “The Late Show.” This marks the 2nd straight year that the ABC program is taking the top spot in overall viewers and in the key adult news demo.

ABC News’ “Nightline” is anchored by Cynthia McFadden, Terry Moran and Bill Weir. Juju Chang is a correspondent. Jeanmarie Condon is the Executive Producer. The program airs weeknights from 11:35 p.m., ET to 12:00 a.m. on the ABC Television Network.

ABC World News is Only Newscast to Grow in Demo Week-to-week

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:16:02 +0000

For the week of February 20, 2012, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer averaged 7.66 million Total Viewers and a 1.8 rating/6 share/2.12 million in Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen.

“World News” increased its Adults 25-54 audience over the prior week (2.11 million on w/o 2/13/12), standing as the only network newscast to grow week-to-week (NBC was down -5%; CBS was down -10%).

“World News” cut its Adults 25-54 gap with “NBC Nightly News” by double-digits both week-to-week (-28% – 417,000 vs. 577,000) and year-to-year (-25% – 417,000 vs. 559,000). In addition, the ABC evening newscast turned in its smallest news demo gap with “Nightly News” in 4 weeks – since w/o 1/23/12.

For the 2nd year in a row, “World News” has cut its season-to-date gaps with “NBC Nightly News” in both Total Viewers (-9%) and Adults 25-54 (-18%), posting its smallest Total Viewer (1.07 million) and news demo margins (370,000) with the NBC program in 3 years – since the 2008-09 season.

“ABC World News” bettered the “CBS Evening News” by 1.16 million Total Viewers and by 191,000 Adults 25-54, posting its largest news demo advantage over the CBS program in 8 weeks - since w/o 12/26/11.

“ABC World News with Diane Sawyer” airs at 6:30 p.m., (ET) on the ABC Television Network. Michael Corn is the executive producer of the broadcast.

ABC World News Closes Gaps with NBC Nightly News by Double Digits Year-to-Year

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:43:57 +0000

For the week of January 2, 2012, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer averaged 7.97 million Total Viewers and a 1.7 rating/6 share/2.10 million among Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen Media Research.

On Monday (1/2/12), “ABC World News” stood as the #1 evening newscast among Total Viewers, outperforming “NBC Nightly News” by 560,000 viewers (8.18 million vs. 7.62 million).

Compared to the same week last year, “World News” cut its gaps with “NBC Nightly News” by double-digits among both Total Viewers (-37% – 930,000 vs. 1.49 million) and Adults 25-54 (-23% – 464,000 vs. 606,000), representing the 9th time in the last 10 weeks in Total Viewers and the 10th week in a row among Adults 25-54 that “World News” has narrowed its year-ago margins with the NBC program.

“World News” has cut its season-to-date gaps with “NBC Nightly News” by double-digits in both Total Viewers (-20%) and Adults 25-54 (-25%), posting its smallest news demo margin (323,000) with the NBC program in 3 years – since the 2008-09 season.

“ABC World News” outperformed the “CBS Evening News” by 1.32 million Total Viewers and by 89,000 Adults 25-54.

Note: “CBS Evening News” was coded a special on Mon 1/2/12 and ratings were excluded from the average. “ABC World News” and “NBC Nightly News” are based on a 5 day average.

“ABC World News with Diane Sawyer” airs at 6:30 p.m., (ET) on the ABC Television Network. Michael Corn is the executive producer of the broadcast.

Baratz Leaving WSJ for ABC News

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:06:12 +0000

Maya Baratz, who oversaw the development and launch of WSJ Social as head of new products, is leaving The Wall Street Journal for a position at ABC News.

Baratz announced the switch on her Tumblr. At ABC News, she will focus on the strategy and development of new products.

Baratz had been with the Journal since October 2010. She led the ideation and development of The Journal’s standalone publication on Facebook as well as WSJ Social, and she also worked on new and social product strategy.

On her Tumblr, she wrote, “I feel lucky to have worked with an incredible, entrepreneurial team at The Wall Street Journal on projects like the launch of WSJ Social. I’ll miss this fantastic newsroom full of talented folks.”

Before that, Baratz worked at SF Weekly for a year and at MTV Networks. She was also a writer for The Huffington Post and Venture Beat.

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ABC News Republican Debate in New Hampshire Draws 6.25 Million Viewers

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:16:37 +0000

The ABC News “Your Voice, Your Vote – Republican Presidential Debate in New Hampshire” on Saturday, January 7 was watched by 6.25 million viewers, 1.73 million Adults 25-54 and 1.40 million Adults 18-49.

The ABC debate aired live across the country and was Saturday night’s #1 non-sports program in all 3 Nielsen measures.

The ABC News debate aired against the high rated NFL Wild Card Game No. 2 – Detroit vs. New Orleans and topped both CBS (4.25 million, 1.40 million and 1.08 million, respectively) and Fox (1.95 million, 816,000 and 664,000. respectively) in the 2-hour time period — 9:00-11:00pm/ET; 6:00-8:00pm/PT.

The ABC “Your Voice, Your Vote” special outperformed the most-recent Republican debate on Fox News Channel (12/15/11) among Adults 18-49 (1.40 million vs. 1.31 million). In fact, along with the “Republican Presidential Debate in Iowa” (1.57 million on 12/10/11), the Net aired the top 2 debates of the campaign season in Adults 18-49. The ABC News “Your Voice, Your Vote – Republican Presidential Debate in Iowa” on Saturday, December 10 stands as the most-watched debate of the 2012 campaign season.

ABC News, Yahoo! News, and WMUR-TV joined forces to host a Republican presidential candidate debate in New Hampshire on Saturday, January 7, 2012. The debate occurred at a critical moment in the Republican nomination process — just four days after the Iowa caucuses and three days before the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation primary.

The “Your Voice, Your Vote” special moderated by ABC’s Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos aired in primetime from 9:00-11:00pm/ET (6:00-8:00pm/PT) and was broadcast from Saint Anselm College. The debate was streamed on ABCNews.com and Yahoo!.

Nightline Ranks Top Across All Key Demos for Week of December 26th

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:29:21 +0000

For the week of December 26, 2011, ABC’s Nightline ranked No. 1 across all key target demos: Total Viewers (3.385 million), Adults 25-54 (1.362 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.039 million) according to Nielsen Media Research.

Nightline delivered across the board week-to-week increases among Total Viewers (+1%), Adults 25-54 (+4%) and Adults 18-49 (+2%).

Season to date, Nightline ranks No. 1 in late-night among Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49, ahead of both NBC’s The Tonight Show and CBS’ The Late Show, marking the 2nd straight year that the ABC program is taking the top spot in overall viewers and in the key adult news demo.

Note: Due to the Christmas holiday, all three programs were coded specials on Monday (12/26/11). In addition, due to the New Year’s holiday, ABC News: Nightline was re-titled on Friday (12/30/11) and is excluded from the average. Ratings for these telecasts were excluded from the weekly average.

ABC News’ Nightline is anchored by Cynthia McFadden, Terry Moran and Bill Weir. John Donvan and Juju Chang are correspondents. Jeanmarie Condon is the Executive Producer. The program airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network.

ABC World News Continues to Close Gaps with NBC Nightly News

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:15:33 +0000

For the week of December 26, 2011, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer averaged 7.96 million Total Viewers and a 1.8 rating/6 share/2.15 million among Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen Media Research.

For the 2nd Wednesday in a row, “ABC World News” was the No. 1 evening newscast in the key adult news demo, outdrawing “NBC Nightly News” by 40,000 Adults 25-54 (2.33 million vs. 2.29 million – on 12/28/11).

Year-to-Year, “World News” cut its margins with “NBC Nightly News” by double-digits among both Total Viewers (-38% – 750,000 vs. 1.20 million) and Adults 25-54 (-56% – 202,000 vs. 456,000). This marked the 8th time in the last 9 weeks in Total Viewers and the 9th straight week in Adults 25-54 that “World News” has narrowed its year-to-year gaps with the NBC program.

“ABC World News” outperformed the “CBS Evening News” by 1.80 million Total Viewers and by 349,000 Adults 25-54, posting is largest Total Viewer lead in 7 weeks - since w/o 11/7/11.

For the 2011 calendar year, “World News” improved over 2010 in both Total Viewers (+5%) and Adults 25-54 (+2%). In addition, “World News” narrowed its year-to-year gap with “NBC Nightly News” in Total Viewers (-13% – 926,000 vs. 1.07 million).

Season-to-date, “World News” is up in Total Viewers (+2%) compared to the same point last season. Additionally, “World News” has cut its season-to-date gaps with “NBC Nightly News” by double-digits in both Total Viewers (-18%) and Adults 25-54 (-25%), posting its smallest news demo margin (313,000) with the NBC program in 3 years – since the 2008-09 season.

Note: Due to the Christmas holiday, all three programs were coded specials on Monday (12/26/11). In addition, due to the New Year’s holiday, “World News” was re-titled “Wrld News Tonite” on Fri 12/30/11. Ratings for these telecasts were excluded from the weekly average averages.

“ABC World News with Diane Sawyer” airs at 6:30 p.m., (ET) on the ABC Television Network. Michael Corn is the executive producer of the broadcast.

ABC to Air Republican Presidential Debate Live from New Hampshire

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:33:07 +0000

ABC News, Yahoo! News, and WMUR-TV, ABC’s Hearst-owned affiliate in Manchester, NH, are joining forces to host a Republican presidential candidate debate in New Hampshire on Saturday, January 7, 2012.

The debate occurs at a critical moment in the Republican nomination process — just four days after the Iowa caucuses and three days before the Granite State’s first in the nation primary. It will be the only broadcast network debate in primetime before the primary airing from 9:00-11:00pm/ET (6:00-8:00pm/PT) from Saint Anselm College.

The debate will air live nationally on the ABC Television Network, locally on WMUR-TV and will be moderated by ABC’s Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos; they will be joined by WMUR-TV anchor Josh McElveen.

Christiane Amanpour Moves to Global Affairs Role at ABC News

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:45:51 +0000

ABC News This Week anchor Christiane Amanpour is moving to an exciting new role in the news division as roving Global Affairs anchor across all ABC News platforms effective immediately.

Amanpour will report on foreign affairs for the network in primetime specials and on all ABC News broadcasts. Starting Sunday, Jan. 8, ”Good Morning America” anchor George Stephanopoulos will host “This Week” in addition to his weekday anchor role at “GMA.”

“This is an exciting and unique opportunity for me to take my love of storytelling to primetime at ABC News. I am looking forward to getting back into the field to report stories on global issues that matter greatly to the American people. This role is groundbreaking, bold and very different! I am thrilled and honored,” said Amanpour.

In addition to her prominent role at ABC News, Christiane will host a weekday show to air on CNN International. Stephanopoulos moderated ABC News’ “This Week” from September 2002 to January 2010.

ABC Grabs Exclusive Interview with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:02:10 +0000

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad sat down with ABC News Anchor Barbara Walters for his first exclusive on-camera interview with an American journalist since the uprising in Syria began last March.

Walters’ no-holds-barred interview with President Al-Assad in Damascus comes as he is under unprecedented international pressure to step down and stands accused by the Arab League, the United Nations (UN), and human rights groups of gross and systematic human rights violations.

The interview will air across ABC platforms on Wednesday, December 7, first on ABCNews.com and Yahoo! News’ Newsmakers series (6:00 am ET), then on “Good Morning America” (7:00 am ET), “The View” (11:00 am ET) and “World News with Diane Sawyer” (6:30 pm ET).

“Nightline” will air a Special Edition: “Barbara Walters in Syria: Assad Speaks” devoting full program to Walters’ report from inside Syria (11:35 pm ET). Portions of the interview will also be available on ABC News Radio and ABC NewsOne.

Walters questioned the controversial Syrian leader about the November 25th UN report, which recorded the human rights violations including the detention and torture of children in his country, and recommended for Syria to be referred to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.

Walters also pressed President Al-Assad on his government’s violent crackdown on protestors, the impact of economic and travel sanctions against his country, calls for the President to step down, and whether he will allow Arab League monitors and foreign press free and unrestricted access to Syria.

Walters also met off-camera, but on-the-record, with Mrs. Asma Al-Assad, the British-born First Lady of Syria.

Walter’s interview with President Al-Assad continues ABC News’ year of unprecedented exclusives with world leaders, including former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and former Libyan Dictator Col. Moammar Gadhafi.

ABC World News Cuts Gap with NBC Nightly News for 5th Straight Week

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:59:10 +0000

For the week of November 28, 2011, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer averaged 8.15 million Total Viewers and a 1.9 rating/7 share/2.28 million among Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Building on the previous week (+2%) to hit a season-high in Adults 25-54, World News registered is strongest news demo performance in over 8 months – since w/o 3/21/11.

The ABC evening newscast was up in both Total Viewers (+2%) and Adults 25-54 (+4%) from the year-ago week, building on its overall audience number year-to-year for each of the 11 weeks this season. Additionally, World News improved the most year-to-year among the evening network newscast in Adults 25-54 (NBC was down -4%; CBS was up +2%).

Registering season-best numbers in Total Viewers (8.70 million) and Adults 25-54 (2.61 million), Monday’s broadcast (11/28/11) stood as World News’ most-watched telecast 6 months and best Adults 25-54 delivery in 8 months for a regular broadcast – since 5/24/11 and 3/21/11, respectively.

For the 5th week in a row, ABC World News cut its gaps with NBC Nightly News from the same week last year in both Total Viewers (-13% – 1.60 million vs. 1.83 million) and Adults 25-54 (-34% – 406,000 vs. 613,000). ABC World News decreased its margins week to week with NBC Nightly News by -4% in Total Viewers (1.60 million vs. 1.67 million) and by -3% in Adults 25-54 (406,000 vs. 420,000).

ABC World News outperformed the CBS Evening News by 1.58 million Total Viewers and by 444,000 Adults 25-54, turning in its best news demo lead over the CBS program in 7 months - since w/o 4/25/11.

Season to date, World News is up in both Total Viewers (+4%) and Adults 25-54 (+3%) compared to the same point last season. Additionally, World News has cut its season-to-date gaps with NBC Nightly News by double-digits in both Total Viewers (-17%) and Adults 25-54 (-19%), posting its smallest news demo margin (326,000) with the NBC program in 3 years – since the 2008-09 season.

ABC World News with Diane Sawyer airs at 6:30 p.m., (ET) on the ABC Television Network. Michael Corn is the executive producer of the broadcast.

ABC World News Cuts Gap with NBC Nightly News for Week of November 14th

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:41:50 +0000

For the week of November 14, 2011, “ABC World News with Diane Sawyer” averaged 8.01 million Total Viewers and a 1.8 rating/6 share/2.23 million among Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Growing its key adult news demo (+3% – 2.16 million on w/o 11/7/11) for the 2nd week in a row to hit a season-high, “World News” posted its strongest Adults 25-54 performance in nearly 8 months - since w/o 3/21/11. In fact, the ABC newscast stood as the only newscast to grow week-to-week in the key adult news demo as both NBC (-7%) and CBS (-3%) were down. Drawing a season-best in Adults 25-54 (2.44 million), Tuesday’s broadcast (11/15/11) stood as “World News’” top regular telecast in the key news demo in over 5 months – since 5/24/11.

Week-to-Week, “ABC World News” narrowed the viewing gaps with “NBC Nightly News” among Total Viewers (-4% – 1.06 million vs. 1.10 million) and Adults 25-54 (-51% – 241,000 vs. 488,000), scoring its smallest news demo gap with the NBC newscast since the season premiere week 8 weeks ago – since w/o 9/19/11. For the 3rd week in a row, “ABC World News” cut the gaps with “NBC Nightly News” year-to-year in both Total Viewers (-29% – 1.06 million vs. 1.49 million) and Adults 25-54 (-47% – 241,000 vs. 457,000).

On Friday (11/18/11), “ABC World News” was the No. 1 evening newscast in the key adult news demo outdrawing “NBC Nightly News” by 90,000 Adults 25-54 (2.05 million vs. 1.96 million).

“ABC World News” bettered the “CBS Evening News” by 1.26 million Total Viewers and by 299,000 Adults 25-54.

“ABC World News with Diane Sawyer” has grown its Total Viewing audience year-to-year in each of the first nine weeks of the 2011-2012 season. Season to date, “World News” is up in both Total Viewers (+5%) and Adults 25-54 (+2%) compared to the same point last season. Additionally, “World News” has cut its season-to-date gaps with “NBC Nightly News” by double-digits in both Total Viewers (-15%) and Adults 25-54 (-11%), posting its smallest news demo margin (323,000) with the NBC program in 3 years – since the 2008-09 season.

ABC News to Air 'Hunger at Home - Crisis in America' Beginning Thanksgiving Day

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:10:14 +0000

ABC News continues its reporting on the growing number of families in the United States who go hungry with two days of reports on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25 for its division-wide series “Hunger at Home: Crisis in America.”

One out of every six Americans had trouble coming up with enough money to buy food at some point last year and one out of five children are living in “food insecure” households. “ABC World News” weekend anchor David Muir and “Nightline” correspondent Juju Chang will report on the realities of what life is like for these American families who cannot afford a meal during the holiday season. The reports will also shine a spotlight on the creative ways that some extraordinary Americans are working to help people in their communities. Reports will appear on broadcasts including “Good Morning America” and “World News with Diane Sawyer” as well as on ABC News Radio and ABCNews.com.

ABC News launched “Hunger at Home” with a full day of reports across all broadcasts and platforms on August 24. After a full day of reporting ABC News viewers contributed over $200,000 to helping 1.6 million Americans get the health meals they need, according to Feeding America. For complete coverage of “Hunger at Home” click here.

All of us can help those in need — as little as $10 can help feed a child for nearly an entire month. If viewers feel inspired to help those in need they can text “M-E-A-L” (6-3-2-5) to 50555 and a $10 donation will be given to Feeding America, a leading domestic hunger relief organization, to help get food to children and families in communities across the country. Plus, viewers can go to ABCNews.com/help to find additional ways to help.

$10.00 donation to Feeding America. Charges will appear on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your prepaid balance. All purchases must be authorized by account holder. Message and Data Rates May Apply. Text STOP to 50555 to STOP. Text HELP to 50555 for HELP. Full Terms: www.mGive.org/T.

ABC News and WMUR to Host GOP Presidential Debate in New Hampshire January 7th

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:05:43 +0000

On Saturday, January 7, 2012 ABC News and WMUR-TV, ABC’s Hearst-owned affiliate in Manchester, NH, are joining forces to host a Republican presidential candidate debate in New Hampshire just days before the Granite State’s first in the nation primary — a critical moment in the Republican nomination process.

It will be the only broadcast network debate in primetime before the primary and air from 9:00-11:00pm/ET from Saint Anselm College.

The debate will air live nationally on the ABC Television Network and locally on WMUR-TV and will be moderated by ABC’s Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos; they will be joined by WMUR-TV anchor Josh McElveen.

The debate will also stream on ABCNEWS.com and WMUR.com.

ABC News Radio, the nation’s largest commercial radio news organization, will carry it live on its stations. ABC News will re-air an excerpted version of the debate on Sunday, January 8 on “This Week with Christiane Amanpour.”

ABC World News Grows in Total Viewers for 6th Consecutive Week

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:20:50 +0000

For the week of October 24, 2011, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer averaged 7.50 million Total Viewers and a 1.7 rating/6 share/2.01 million among Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen Media Research.

For the 6th consecutive week, World News built on the year-earlier week in Total Viewers (7.40 million on w/o 10/25/11).

ABC World News outperformed CBS Evening News by 1.52 million Total Viewers and by 230,000 Adults 25-54.

Season to date, World News is up in both Total Viewers (+5%) and Adults 25-54 (+5%) compared to the same point last season. Additionally, World News has cut its season-to-date gaps with NBC Nightly News in both Total Viewers (-1%) and Adults 25-54 by -3%, posting its smallest news demo margin (282,000) with the NBC program in 3 years – since the 2008-09 season.

Note: Diane Sawyer was off Thursday (10/27/11).

ABC World News with Diane Sawyer airs at 6:30 p.m., (ET) on the ABC Television Network. Michael Corn is the executive producer of the broadcast.

ABC World News Continues to Close Gap with NBC Year-to-Year

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:54:35 +0000

For the week of October 17, 2011, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer averaged 7.59 million Total Viewers and a 1.7 rating/6 share/2.05 million among Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen Media Research – marking the ABC newscasts largest overall audience in 8 weeks (since w/o 8/22/11).

For the 5th straight week, World News grew over the year-ago week in both Total Viewers (+10%) and Adults 25-54 (+7%).

For the 4th time in the past 5 weeks, World News cut its Total Viewer margin with NBC Nightly News compared to the previous year (-11% – 860,000 vs. 969,000).

ABC World News outperformed CBS Evening News by 1.61 million Total Viewers and by 204,000 Adults 25-54.

Season to date, World News is up in both Total Viewers (+5%) and Adults 25-54 (+5%) compared to the same point last season. In fact, the ABC newscast is up the most year to year in the key adults news demo from the same point last season (NBC is up by +3%; CBS is up by +4%).

In addition, World News has cut its season-to-date gaps with NBC Nightly News in both Total Viewer (-10%) and Adults 25-54 (-15%) versus its year-ago season gaps, posting its smallest margins (627,000 and 263,000, respectively) with the NBC program in 3 years – since the 2008-09 season.

Note: George Stephanopoulos anchored World News on Thursday and Friday; Diane Sawyer was on assignment.

ABC World News with Diane Sawyer airs at 6:30 p.m., (ET) on the ABC Television Network. Michael Corn is the executive producer of the broadcast.

ABC News to Air Pimetime GOP Iowa Debate December 10th

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:50:30 +0000

ABC News' Republican presidential candidate debate in Iowa with ABC5/WOI-DT and the Republican Party of Iowa will take place on Saturday 10th December 2011.

This debate, to be moderated by ABC News anchors Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos, will be held at a critical moment in the Republican nomination process - less than a month before the state's "first-in-the-nation" caucuses.

The debate will air in primetime from 9:00-11:00 p.m., ET/PT nationally on the ABC Television Network, locally on ABC5/WOI-DT, and will air on ABCNews.com and Yahoo.com. It will be the only broadcast network debate in primetime before the caucuses. ABC News will re-air an excerpted version of the debate the following Sunday morning on "This Week with Christiane Amanpour."

The candidates will be asked about the critical issues the country faces in front of a live audience on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines. The debate was initially announced on March 24.

Iowa and New Hampshire have long been make-or-break contests for candidates, and ABC News will be putting the crucial questions of the day to the contenders in both key states during two primetime debates. ABC News previously announced it will host a primetime debate in New Hampshire the Saturday before the Granite State's "first in the nation" primary.

Yahoo and ABC News Partner in Content Sharing Deal

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 13:58:04 +0000

Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), and ABC News have announced a strategic alliance that will enhance and transform the delivery of news and information across the digital landscape.

This multifaceted relationship blends Yahoo! News' unmatched audience, as well as its depth and breadth of content, with ABC News' global newsgathering operation and unrivaled lineup of trusted anchors and reporters. Yahoo! News and ABC News reach a combined audience of more than 100 million people in the U.S. each month on PCs, mobile devices and tablets.

This unmatched alliance creates a powerful news experience that provides people greater access to compelling news and information, including more original news video online than ever before. It launches today with the debut of GoodMorningAmerica.com on Yahoo! and three new, online-first video series with ABC News' award-winning and trusted anchors and correspondents. "Newsmakers," an original interview series, kicks off today when "Good Morning America" anchor George Stephanopoulos interviews President Obama live at the White House at 2:35 p.m. ET. The entire interview will stream live on Yahoo.com and ABCNews.com.

"Yahoo! is committed to building the richest set of premium and personalized content experiences for our users. Our deep collaboration with ABC News further strengthens Yahoo! as the No. 1 online news source, greatly enhancing our already robust news content," said Ross Levinsohn, executive vice president of Americas at Yahoo! "ABC News and Ben Sherwood's vision is completely symbiotic with ours; together we can create highly engaging experiences for more than 100 million users a month that will set the standard for the industry."

"This relationship will give ABC News an unrivaled ability to reach across the Web, combining Yahoo!'s vast distribution and cutting-edge technology with our award-winning journalism. For years, we've proudly proclaimed that more Americans get their news from ABC News than any other source," said Ben Sherwood, president of ABC News. "Going forward, we will greatly expand this leadership by building a connection with a whole new online audience."

By bringing together two of the world's leading and most trusted news providers, Yahoo! and ABC News will deliver the latest breaking news, the biggest exclusives, and award-winning investigative journalism from a powerful lineup of journalists - all with the ability to extend across TV and online like never before.

Key elements of the alliance include:

- ABC News will be the premier news provider on Yahoo! News - Greater, even easier access to ABC News material across the Yahoo! News network, the No. 1 online news destination in the U.S. ABC News content will be prominently integrated into Yahoo! News, the Yahoo! front page, and other areas across the Yahoo! network.

- GoodMorningAmerica.com launches today on Yahoo! - A co-branded and highly interactive online destination (GMA.yahoo.com) with robust video and information will let the "Good Morning America" audience continue the conversation online before, during and after the broadcast and deepen viewers' relationship with the program 24/7.

- New original Web series will debut from ABC News anchors and correspondents - Yahoo! and ABC News are launching an exclusive slate of original online video programming, starting today with "Newsmakers," "Around the World with Christiane Amanpour" and "This Could Be Big." Additional programs will debut in the months ahead and throughout 2012.

- ABC News and Yahoo! News editorial teams will work together to develop premium news content - Editorial teams from both organizations will collaborate on branded content that will appear on both the Yahoo! News and ABC News sites. Teams will co-produce coverage for major news events and will have integrated bureaus in New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. Yahoo! editorial staff or content will appear on air.

- Yahoo! and ABC Sales organizations will deliver powerful advertising solutions - The companies will create a suite of premium online video advertising opportunities and a variety of enhanced sponsorships designed to allow advertisers to benefit from the unique strengths of each sales organization. ABC will lead sales during the Upfront selling season and Yahoo! will manage sales throughout the rest of the year.

ABC News will continue to maintain editorial control of their sites, and Yahoo! maintains editorial control of Yahoo! sites. The Yahoo! News network will continue to feature content and perspectives from Yahoo!'s editorial staff and the Yahoo! Contributor Network, as well as content from other industry-leading providers and experts.

Original video programming

ABC News and Yahoo! have created a slate of original video programming with ABC News' award-winning and trusted anchors and correspondents featured across various Yahoo! and ABC News sites. With 10 of the top 10 original video programs online, Yahoo! knows how to create and distribute engaging and compelling video content. Jointly produced video programs debut this fall and continue to roll out throughout 2012, starting with:

- "Newsmakers" - Everyone from politicians to global leaders to celebrities will engage in exclusive, online-first video conversations with Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, George Stephanopoulos, Katie Couric, Christiane Amanpour, Robin Roberts and others. Consumers will be able to join the discussion and submit questions in a truly innovative, interactive, social platform. http://news.yahoo.com/newsmakers/

- "Around the World with Christiane Amanpour" - The first global program produced entirely online leverages Yahoo!'s enormous reach and Amanpour's unmatched international relationships. The world's top international journalist will bring explanations, context and analysis to the biggest international stories of the day. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-world-according-to/

- "This Could Be Big" - The invisible plane, a car that gets 200 mpg, a building that generates its own electricity, an eye implant that allow the blind to see ... these are just a few of the glimpses into the future of innovation that "Nightline" anchor Bill Weir will explore each week. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/this-could-be-big/

ABC News to Air Interview with Jacqueline Kennedy

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:21:32 +0000

On Tuesday September 13th, viewers for the first time will hear actual interviews that former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy recorded for history in an ABC News special with Diane Sawyer reporting.

"Jacqueline Kennedy: In Her Own Words" will air from 9:00-11:00 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network, and will feature Sawyer's exclusive interview with Caroline Kennedy.

These never-before-heard interviews, which Jacqueline Kennedy recorded soon after her husband's death, have remained strictly sealed - until now. The more than eight hours of official audio recordings were made with one of America's most respected historians, Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. From that point on, the famously private former First Lady steadfastly refused to publicly discuss her memories of those years. The ABC News special coincides with the September 14th publication of the book, Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy, which contains unedited and complete recordings of the oral history interviews.

The revealing conversations include Jacqueline Kennedy's impressions of life with her husband, President John F. Kennedy, their life in the White House, and the extraordinary events that shaped the Kennedy Administration and the world -- from their early years on the campaign trail to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs and the President's last days in the White House. The interviews also reflect Mrs. Kennedy's evolving sense of herself and her role as First Lady, as she talks about her family, world leaders and life in the White House.

Throughout the week, reports will air across all ABC News broadcasts and platforms including "World News with Diane Sawyer," "Good Morning America," "Nightline" and "This Week with Christiane Amanpour." Coverage will also appear on ABC News Radio, ABC News NOW, and NewsOne, the network's affiliate service. ABCNews.com has launched a special webpage that will highlight the historic events of the Kennedy administration that are discussed by Mrs. Kennedy in the audio tapes.

Eric Avram and David Sloan are the executive producers of "Jacqueline Kennedy: In Her Own Words."

Season to Date, ABC Nightline Draws Largest Overall Audience in 8 Years

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:15:43 +0000

For the week of August 15, 2011, ABC’s Nightline ranked No. 1 across all key target demos: Total Viewers (3.672 million), Adults 25-54 (1.410 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.083 million), according to Nielsen Media Research.

Nightline has taken the top spot in overall viewers and in the key adult news demo for the 3rd time in the last 4 weeks. In addition, the ABC latenight program was up week to week in all three demos: Total Viewers (+7%), Adults 25-54 (+6%) and Adults 18-49 (+12%).

Similarly, Nightline scored increases from the year-ago week across the target demos: Total Viewers (+16%), Adults 25-54 (+3%) and Adults 18-49 (+1%), growing its overall audience for the 9th week in a row. In fact, Nightline increased its Total Viewer count year to year in 25 of the last 27 weeks.

Season to date, Nightline ranks first in late-night among Total Viewers and Adults 25-54. This is the first time ever that Nightline has been in first place at this point in the season in Adults 25-54 since at least the 1993-94 season, when Letterman began on CBS.

In addition, Nightline is up by +6% in Total Viewers and by +4% in Adults 25-54 compared to the same point last year, standing as the only program to grow year to year in Adults 25-54 versus The Tonight Show and The Late Show. Season to date, Nightline is drawing its largest overall audience in 8 years – since the 2002-03 season.

ABC News’ Nightline is anchored by Cynthia McFadden, Terry Moran and Bill Weir. John Donvan and Juju Chang are correspondents. Jeanmarie Condon is the Executive Producer. The program airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network.