Anchor Away
Media watchers, noting that NBC has recently slipped in the ratings against ABC, have suggested that the trip may be designed to help ratings for the "Nightly News," a charge NBC rejects. "It's utter nonsense and beyond offensive for anyone to think we would put people in harm's way for the sake of ratings," a spokeswoman for NBC News told Carter. NBC says it has been planning the trip for months.
News is a business, and ratings are invariably a factor in what the nightly newscasts look like – the CBS "Evening News," which is in third place in the ratings battle, has certainly been trying to improve its standing. But I don't think NBC would put Williams at undue risk for a ratings bump, for reasons both financial and moral. Williams has emerged as the face of NBC News, and, from a business standpoint, the network would be stupid to risk him for the chance at a few points in the ratings. And then there's the fact that the folks over at NBC News are human beings, and I think it's safe to assume they would never send Williams – or any of their people – into a dangerous situation without doing everything possible to minimize their risk.