It’s been 45 years since ABC News’ iconic late-night show Nightline debuted on March 24, 1980, and a special 45th anniversary episode is now streaming on Hulu.
Nightline evolved out of a late-night news segment that ABC started in November 1979 to cover the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the United States embassy in Iran, during which 53 U.S. citizens were taken hostage. 444 days later, the hostages were released, and Nightline and anchor Ted Koppel had forged an important relationship with the American public.
Current Nightline anchor Juju Chang tells ABC Audio that, while it’s changed formats and timeslots over the years, the current iteration of the show still carries the original’s DNA.
“I think we try to do more in-depth [stories] and provide more perspective. And that’s what Nightline has always been,” says Chang. “At the end of your long workday, when you finally settle down in front of a TV, you get to see, not just the headlines, but the issues behind the headlines.”
Chang’s co-anchor Byron Pitts adds, “I think there is always a space and a place where people can go — in this age of people yelling at each other and emphasizing our divides — [to see] some grown-ups show up [and say], ‘Calm down, lower your voice, let’s listen to each other. Let’s talk about the facts and not just feelings’ … that’s still important to many people in America.”
Chang believes that Nightline’s “bridge to the future” is its presence on streaming, along with its sister show, IMPACT X Nightline. But in this age of TikTok, Pitts appreciates the traditional aspects of the show as well.
“All of us may enjoy going to a fast food restaurant every now and then … but there’s something about grandmama’s cooking,” Pitts says. “And things made from scratch. And that’s still kind of what you get at Nightline: grandmama’s cooking, which is dense. It can sustain you for a while.”
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