Koppel Signs Off 'Nightline'

With A Plug For Journalism, And Plans To Do Documentaries

(AP)  In an understated farewell Tuesday to the ABC News broadcast he has anchored for 26 years, Ted Koppel asked "Nightline" viewers to give his successors a fair break.

"If you don't," he said, "I promise you the network will just put another comedy show in this time slot. Then you'll be sorry."

ABC did consider the comedy route three years ago - when network executives secretly and ultimately unsuccessfully courted CBS "Late Show" host David Letterman as a replacement for "Nightline."

"Nightline" will continue Monday with a revamped format and hosts Cynthia McFadden, Terry Moran, and Martin Bashir – best known for his documentary on Michael Jackson.

Koppel is not retiring - he will continue working with his producer, Tom Bettag. They plan to produce documentaries and have been in negotiations with HBO over that project.

Since March 1980, Koppel offered a serious alternative to late-night laughs as the only anchor "Nightline" has known.

For his finale, Koppel looked back at one of his favorite interviews: his 1995 conversation with terminally ill college professor Morrie Schwartz, which led to Mitch Albom's best-selling book "Tuesdays With Morrie."

Fortified by a double mocha, Koppel didn't sit down to write his closing remarks until Tuesday afternoon. His final show was taped several days in advance except for the ending, taped Tuesday evening.

He told viewers that he often quizzed "Nightline" interns on whether they knew old network anchors like Eric Severeid, Howard K. Smith or Frank Reynolds. He'd get blank stares in response.

"Trust me," he said. "The transition from one anchor to another is not that big a deal. Cronkite begat Rather, Chancellor begat Brokaw, Reynolds begat Jennings. And each of them did a pretty fair job in his own right."