ABC Woos Letterman

ABC is aggressively courting CBS late-night star David Letterman. The network is expected to drop "Nightline," its long-running news program, from its late-night slot if Letterman is signed.

Letterman's contract with CBS expires in about six months. The comedian has been a lucrative late-night staple for the network since 1993. "Nightline" draws about as many viewers as the Letterman show, but the program is weak among the younger viewers prized by advertisers.

The New York Times quoted a network executive as saying the expansion of all-news cable channels had filled a niche that had been the exclusive province of "Nightline," which has been on the air 22 years.

"The revelvancy of 'Nightline' is just not there anymore," the executive said.

The Times said ABC is exploring other options for "Nightline," including the occasional use of the show in prime time.

Associates of Letterman told the Times that comedian's poor relationship with CBS was the No. 1 reason why he was contemplating a switch to ABC.

ABC and CBS representatives declined comment on Friday.

Rob Burnett, CEO of Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, said: "Dave's contractual obligation to the 'Late Show' concludes this August. We are continuing negotiations with the CBS television network. It would be inappropriate at this time to discuss any inquiries that we have received from other networks."

Letterman, an Indianapolis native and Ball State University graduate, has been the longtime No. 2 in the ratings behind NBC's Jay Leno in the late-night comic wars. He's long been unhappy that CBS' older prime-time audience and the weak local news programs on CBS affiliates don't provide him with a stronger lead-in.

ABC has a younger audience than CBS, although its prime-time ratings can't compare to CBS and have slipped markedly over the past year.

"Nightline" began as a regular show in 1980, an outgrowth of the Iranian hostage crisis, and still has original host Ted Koppel. But ABC is reportedly concerned that its ratings are slipping.

Koppel, who is returning from a vacation, was not available for comment Friday. His producer, Tom Bettag, did not return a call for comment.

But sources at ABC told the Washington Post that Koppel was furious about the matter.