ABC will be embarking on Monday’s installment of Diane Sawyer as anchor of its nightly Word News show without the hoopla and celebration that CBS had with Katie Couric’s debut on CBS Evening News in 2006. In a recent email sent to ABC News staffers earlier this week, ABC News head David Westin said, “If is better to build steadily and perform over time than to launch a major campaign targeting the first day.”
Also, audiences are used to Diane Sawyer and see her as a respected news journalist, something her CBS rival was said not have and was criticized for in ’06. In an interview, Wold News producer Jon Banner said that audiences are “familiar” with Sawyer’s work.
“We don’t necessarily need to introduce her to our audience,” says Banner. “We want to keep the focus on the news. We’re not in this business to be in second place, (but) nothing is going to happen overnight.”
Topics: General |
