ABC News

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 10:28am on Friday, January 29th, 2010

ABC's Bob Woodruff Is Back, Way Back, from Brush with Death

TVNewser reported on January 29, 2010:

"What a day it is for ABC's Bob Woodruff.

His long-awaited interview with former John Edwards aide Andrew Young is set to air tonight on a special 20/20, and on Nightline.

It's also Woodruff's father's birthday. Plus, Woodruff has a date this evening with his twin nine year-old girls at a father-daughter dance.

And it was on this day four years ago that Woodruff narrowly escaped death. "My 'alive day'," he tells TVNewser.

In 2006, the newly-minted World News Tonight co-anchor was reporting from Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded near him and cameraman Doug Vogt. Both suffered serious head injuries. Four years later, Woodruff is feeling good — "I'm lucky," he says — and he's right in the thick of things at work.

He has nabbed some of the biggest gets in the Edwards-Rielle Hunter saga, including an exclusive interview with the former Senator and presidential candidate in August of 2008. During that chat, Edwards lied about the possibility of fathering Hunter's daughter, Quinn.

"I was pretty shocked" at the denial, Woodruff says. And so were Andrew Young — author of The Politician, out tomorrow — and his wife Cheri, who Woodruff says were "just irritated and furious" at what they heard. They chose Woodruff for their first interview.

Woodruff, who covered Edwards' 2004 presidential run, finds it hard to believe he's still covering this scandal, long after the now-infamous 2008 sit-down. "I didn't think it would be such a big story a year and half later."

But it is. So big that each network has scrambled for the scoop. Last week, with Woodruff's Andrew Young interview looming, NBC got an exclusive of its own: a first look at the statement from Edwards admitting paternity.

Woodruff shrugs it off. "I love competition. Go for it, NBC!"

NBC's news, Woodruff says, "is nothing" compared to what Young will tell viewers tonight, "revelations that you'll hear from an aide who was witness to much of this incredible mess."

The Edwards saga is "more tragic than any other affair story I've ever seen, or ever will."

A major story of national interest: it's where Woodruff likes to be. "I love journalism. What I've always loved is doing the actual work as a journalist. Being out on the street, being around the country, being where the news is actually happening."

And that's no small feat, considering Woodruff's lengthy recovery after his brain injury. His progress is such that he has discontinued speech and physical therapy. "What I'm doing is reading and writing and having conversations like this with you," he says.

"Most of my friends and family around me four years ago, would have never really thought that I would be able to do what I'm doing now. I'm very close to the way I was before.

"There's no way that you return to exactly the way you were, but there are parts of you that are better," he explains. Namely, having a greater appreciation of life.

"I like to watch every sunrise," Woodruff continues. "I want to see my kids every day. I want to give my friends some hugs. I think the things that seemed irritating to me before, I can't really be as irritated as I was before...You look at life a different way when you've had somewhat of a vision of what it might be like if you weren't here."

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 9:27am on Thursday, January 28th, 2010

ABC News Investigation Influences Massive Toyota Recall

TVNewser reported on January 23, 2010:

"Call it esprit de car.

Brian Ross' investigative reports on "runaway Toyotas" have led to two massive recalls, including Thursday's announcement of an additional 2.3 million vehicles to correct sticking accelerator pedals.

For Ross, ABC's chief investigative correspondent, the story is the gift that keeps on giving. But in a week dominated by the Haiti earthquake disaster and baby daddy John Edwards' mea culpa, Ross' latest scoop has had heavy competition.

No worries, says Ross, 61, who has won every journalistic award worth winning. Before joining ABC in 1994, he put in 20 years at NBC.

"It's the nature of our business," he says. "In a different week, it probably would have been a bigger deal. There's a lot going on. Everyone makes their own decisions on how much play to give any particular story. It's where your resources are."

There's no dearth of investigative resources at ABC, Ross says. News division chief David Westin has made "a solid commitment" to the 14-person investigative unit, according to Ross, and the unit's Website has undergone a major expansion that has led to several broadcast stories.

Going after big corporations is a tricky business, however, and Ross knows how easy it is to get burned. Literally.

P.S. In case you're wondering, Ross drives an '09 BMW and an '05 Ford Explorer. As for his feelings about Toyotas, "I try to steer away from product recommendations," he says, unaware of his play on words.

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 10:00am on Thursday, January 7th, 2010

Ted Koppel Returning To ABC?

Politico reported on January 7, 2010:

"ABC News is negotiating with former "Nightline" anchor Ted Koppel, a 42-year veteran of the network, for a potential return to anchor “This Week” three Sundays a month, broadcast industry sources said.

ABC News executives said no offers have been made.

Under the proposed Koppel arrangement, the fourth Sunday would rotate among potential future anchors from the network's Washington bureau.

ABC News President David Westin wrote in an e-mail: "We are in the middle of the process, and I will not comment on the specifics of whom we are and whom we are not talking to. I’m considering a number of alternatives. I will pull back the veil to the limited degree of telling you — for the benefit of your readers — that just about every specific that you have is false."

The full story:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31226.html

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 1:46pm on Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Sawyer Boosts ABC Ratings, But Still Trails NBC's Williams, Broadcasting & Cable reported on December 29, 2009:

"Diane Sawyer's first week as anchor of ABC's World News gave a boost to the program, though it was still second to NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams, which also drew higher than average numbers.

In addition to being Sawyer's first week, the Christmas holiday meant that many potential viewers could be traveling or away from home. As such, Nielsen numbers are from Monday-Wednesday, which could account for the slightly inflated numbers on both programs."