Nightline is a late-night hard and soft news program broadcast by ABC in the United States, and has a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. It airs five nights a week (weeknights), usually for 30 minutes. Ted Koppel served as main anchor from March 1980 until his departure from the program in November 2005.
Evolved out of a series of nightly updates after Iranian revolutionaries stormed the United States embassy in Tehran and held the staff hostage (1979 - 1981).
In the episode commemorating the 40th anniversary of Jackie Robinson entering the major leagues, L.A. Dodger executive Campanis, Al ended his own career by stating that African-Americans lacked "some of the necessities" to be major league managers.
An institution for more than 20 years, in 2002 the future of the series was cast in doubt when ABC executives attempted to hire David Letterman away from CBS for a talk show to replace "Nightline". Letterman stayed at CBS and the show was saved.
