ABC 'Nightline' changes coming; producer will leave Dec. 31

The show rates a distant third behind 'Leno' and 'Letterman.'
By ELIZABETH JENSEN
LOS ANGELES TIMES
NEW YORK -- Ted Koppel's venerable late-night "Nightline" is getting a makeover, but it will do so without the services of the news program's well-regarded executive producer, Leroy Sievers, whose last day will be Dec. 31.
ABC News wouldn't say Thursday what changes are under discussion for the money-losing half-hour program, which got its start during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis.
While "Nightline" has won numerous journalism awards in its nearly 25 years on the air, the network more recently has coveted the 11:35 p.m. slot for entertainment programming, which could potentially bring ABC much more money. Two years ago, ABC officials tried unsuccessfully to woo David Letterman from CBS with a promise that he could have the time slot, angering Koppel and his colleagues on the program.
Since then, "Nightline," under Sievers, has been praised for its Iraq war reporting. It also caused a controversy in April for its provocative roll call of all the U.S. troops killed in Iraq, a program that some affiliate stations refused to air.
During the recent heated presidential campaign, "Nightline" sent a reporting team to Vietnam to investigate the claims and counterclaims surrounding candidate John F. Kerry's war record.
Behind Leno, Letterman
Nonetheless, the program this season is a distant ratings third behind "Jay Leno" on NBC and "Letterman."
ABC was largely silent about Sievers' departure, which was first reported in The Wall Street Journal. ABC News released a statement from Sievers that said: "My contract expired in September. The company has made it clear that it is considering fundamental changes to the format and the direction that the broadcast takes in the future. We were unable to agree on those changes and are currently negotiating the terms of my departure."
Sievers didn't return a call for further comment. He has been with the show since 1991, becoming its executive producer in 2000.
Despite the departure, a show spokeswoman said that ABC is "extremely enthusiastic about the future of 'Nightline.'" Koppel's contract expires next year.