NBC Nightly News May Expand To Full-Hour Newscast

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/09/nbc-nightly-news-may-expa_n_172993.html

NBC Nightly News May Expand To Full-Hour Newscast

Huffington Post | Danny Shea | March 9, 2009 08:50 AM


In the last month, Brian Williams has interviewed Tim Geithner on CNBC and guest-hosted on the "Today" show. Now the New York Times reports that he may be expanding his duties on his own show, "NBC Nightly News."

Bill Carter writes that "Nightly," which has dominated the ratings for 20 consecutive weeks, is "positioned to be the first network to expand to a full-hour newscast," according to NBC News President Steve Capus, who did not say when such a move might occur.

On the "Today" show last month, Williams and Matt Lauer joked that he needed water to stay on air past the 30 minute threshold.

CBS News' Katie Couric said last year that she would like a full hour broadcast, and she experimented with a primetime hour-long newscast in January.

Williams began an initiative last week to promote "good news" on his broadcast, a response to viewers' complaints that the news today is too grim.

:eyes: Dumb down the masses? Just give people the news, we don't need sugarcoating. :mad:

[Ian David]

1. I can't wait for Brian Williams to do Tinsel Talk, The Beaver Stack, and Oddball! n/t

[Mojorabbit]

2. I like the idea of a full hour

if they plan to do more in depth reporting on important issues and I also like bits of good news added as everything these days seems to be bad. If you watch the local news anymore you would think this city is only filled with murderers and robbers. It is nice to reinforce that there really are good people everywhere doing wonderful things.,

[cynatnite]

9. I like it, too. n/t

[FrenchieCat]

3. If they feel they need an addition 30 minutes to bring Obama down, I'm against it.....

but If they are going to do "real" reporting, then it sounds like a good idea.

We shall see what the do with the additional time.

[graywarrior]

4. Z-z-z-z-z-z.

*drool spittle-spittle*

[onehandle]

5. We would more likely tune in if the show was an hour.

I see Williams frequently on another half-hour news show hosted by Jon Stewart.

I equate half hour news with Comedy Central. Definitely in the case of Couric.

[Lost in CT]

6. I not sure why the networks bother... I guess the nursing home audience is more lucrative

than I thought.

[Wickerman]

7. So, the newsroom cuts its reporting staff

(as nearly all newsrooms have done), yet they increase their on air time? Fuck yeah, this is gonna be tv worth watching. :eyes:

[ginnyinWI]

8. no more "good news", please!

I'm all for more in-depth coverage, but more feel-good human interest stories is not what I have in mind. I also don't need more ads for medical products. :(

They will have to compete with Newshour with Jim Lehrer for my attention. We'll see.

[kestrel91316]

10. Prediction: more fluff, less real news.

People want to be ENTERTAINED and BE HAPPY during a depression. We can't be scaring them by talking truth.

[bdamomma]

11. news for an hour??? as long it is news, and not fluff

we don't need anymore dumbing down, just the facts Brian please.

[RamboLiberal]

12. My bet is a lot of affiliates will not go along

Wonder if news or Jeopardy/Wheel of Fortune or any of the tabloid shows are more profitable to an affiliate and offer them opportunity to sell local ads. Of course now local ads may be way down.

[bobburgster]

13. Expanded Coverage...good idea

I like the idea if expanded coverage. Though I do not want to see more new "medical" discoveries or mating techniques of the panda...hard news would be just fine.

[SpartanDem]

14. If done right this could be good

I've always thought that 30 minutes is simply not enough time to cover this nations news.

[Raine]

15. I would like a full hour

as long as it's not about Hollywood, sharks, octomom or being a mouth piece for the pharma industry.

edit: typo