The Newsroom

NBC Nightly News

(April 2010)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
IT
itsrobert Founding member
Does anyone know what's happened to the NBC Nightly News on CNBC? It was on every weeknight at 23:30 until last week. The Tonight Show is now airing from 23:00-00:00 and NN is nowhere to be seen. I've checked DigiGuide and it doesn't appear to be returning - at least as far as the listings go (mid-May). Is this permanent and if so, does anyone know why? Has anyone got a recommendation (other than Fox News) for an American news broadcast? What are CBS and ABC News like?
MW
Mike W
Has anyone got a recommendation (other than Fox News) for an American news broadcast? What are CBS and ABC News like?


The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric is great. Unbiased (towards any UK parties) journalism and decent world news. The presenter is fantastic, she is warm and welcoming and seems to be very real and believable. It's aired on Sky News at 0030 and is the repeat broadcast, not the live version. CBS also has decent title music, interesting graphics and a decent newsroom/set.
EE
EdExcel
Has anyone got a recommendation (other than Fox News) for an American news broadcast? What are CBS and ABC News like?


ABC World News with Diane Sawyer is an outstanding news broadcast. Filled with such class and world class journalism. The presenter, Diane Sawyer anchors the programme with such authority, warmth and a wealth of experience of journalism. I love the fact that Sawyer always allows a lot of airtime for correspondents reporting on issue - something not seen of CBS or NBS. The studio and graphics for the programme are unparalleled by any news organisation in America.
MW
Mike W
The studio and graphics for the programme are unparalleled by any news organisation in America.

I beg to differ, the ABC News title colours look dull and the light repelling world? Please.
HO
House
Has anyone got a recommendation (other than Fox News) for an American news broadcast? What are CBS and ABC News like?


The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric is great. Unbiased (towards any UK parties) journalism and decent world news. The presenter is fantastic, she is warm and welcoming and seems to be very real and believable. It's aired on Sky News at 0030 and is the repeat broadcast, not the live version. CBS also has decent title music, interesting graphics and a decent newsroom/set.


I cannot stand Katie Couric. There's just something about her that feels lightweight. In comparison I think Diane Sawyer and Maggie Rodriguez are far better, but can't stand George Stephanopoulos or Harry Smith. If Couric were to leave - which could happen given CBS's failure to close the gap on ABC, let alone NBC, in ratings - and Maggie Rodriguez were to take over I'd find it far more bearable.

Comparing ABC and CBS in terms of presentation and content, I think both have their strengths. I think ABC have some very, very good reports, though can sometimes become a bit lighter towards the end, while CBS too have some very good reporting but can sometimes (to me at least) feel a bit full on in reporting.

I think ABC's studio and titles are pretty good, and somehow feel refreshing compared to what we have in the UK. The studio and music far outperform CBS's, while CBS have the edge on on-screen graphics.


The reporting feels far more natural and the dialogue between Sawyer and correspondents, some of whom are very good, makes it a more lively, fresh programme and I seriously wish we had a British equivalent.

CBS too have some good reporters, but it all feels far more rehearsed and forced between them and Couric.


And in terms of BBC and Sky airing them, Sky seem to retain the original break slots which annoys me beyond belief (because they seem to be every 5 minutes!) while the BBC broadcast it with only one break in the middle (which is filled by BBC News headlines - and James Dagwell seems to be the only one who knows Sawyer's name!) but at points they do seem to edit it down (is this because of rights??). Also, due to the removal of breaks, the programme only begins at about 01:36 after sports news, while CBS starts a little before :30 on Sky it seems.


For me, Robert, ABC World News is better than CBS, though I can understand why Michael likes CBS. CBS feels a bit stagnant at points, but the BBC's late showing of ABC means I often miss Sawyer, Muir, Vargas and co.

I haven't yet managed to see NBC - if anyone gets hold of it please let me know! I also love how Sky show CBS Evening News all week long it seems (including with Russ Mitchell on Sundays) where as it's only Mon-Thu on the BBC with ABC.

I'm certainly more interested in American news programmes than British ones at the moment! They just feel so much quicker!
RE
remlap
I prefer Newshour with Jim Lehrer or is it just Newshour now? To me Lehrer is the last old-school network news anchor left in America.

The only way to get it in Europe is on Voice of America TV. I think you can listen to it on WRN if thats still on SKY.

Far more in depth reporting comparable to Channel 4 7pm News I guess, graphics set is fresh and original from an American stand point.

I can't stand Katie Couric either, Bob Sheiffer was great replacement for Dan Rather and kept the class CBS Evening News once had, that class went out the window with Katie Couric. Are there still rumblings about Anderson Cooper getting the gig at sometime. I know they were even once thinking of letting Jon Stewart anchor the nightly news Laughing

Was surprised CNBC Europe dumped the NBC Nightly News and for Leno Confused
Last edited by remlap on 25 April 2010 1:06am - 3 times in total
NG
noggin Founding member
House posted:

And in terms of BBC and Sky airing them, Sky seem to retain the original break slots which annoys me beyond belief (because they seem to be every 5 minutes!) while the BBC broadcast it with only one break in the middle (which is filled by BBC News headlines - and James Dagwell seems to be the only one who knows Sawyer's name!) but at points they do seem to edit it down (is this because of rights??). Also, due to the removal of breaks, the programme only begins at about 01:36 after sports news, while CBS starts a little before :30 on Sky it seems.


The BBC have to ensure they remove all the sponsorship branding on the ABC show. ISTR that ABC provide the BBC with clean stings to allow them to re-edit to do this - but it could be that some items are so branded it is impossible to clean them up in an edit, or it could be there are sequences that ABC only have domestic rights for.

Watched CBS on Sky last night (oddly it was 4:3 not 16:9 - isn't it usually 16:9 now on Sky, you could see thin slivers of pillarbox bars so the origination was 16:9 I think) - and couldn't agree with you about the gfx. The CBS Opener was very dated animated 3D text... No-one should still be flying 3D shiny text around in 2010...
SN
SN2005
...couldn't agree with you about the gfx. The CBS Opener was very dated animated 3D text... No-one should still be flying 3D shiny text around in 2010...


The Evening News opener isn't that bad compared to that of CBS Sunday Morning. Now that IS fugly.
RE
remlap
...couldn't agree with you about the gfx. The CBS Opener was very dated animated 3D text... No-one should still be flying 3D shiny text around in 2010...


The Evening News opener isn't that bad compared to that of CBS Sunday Morning. Now that IS fugly.


But still a decent show, Charles Osgood is brilliant.
MW
Mike W
Watched CBS on Sky last night (oddly it was 4:3 not 16:9 - isn't it usually 16:9 now on Sky, you could see thin slivers of pillarbox bars so the origination was 16:9 I think) - and couldn't agree with you about the gfx. The CBS Opener was very dated animated 3D text... No-one should still be flying 3D shiny text around in 2010...


It is indeed usually 16:9, the current look was designed by Bob Peterson (CBS News creative director).
The previous titles were nicer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1CR24qvH6s
SN
SN2005


But still a decent show, Charles Osgood is brilliant.


You are quite right, Charles Osgood is amazing. I can't help but feel, however, that at 90 minutes, the show is simply a little bit too long. That said I do really like the longer form pieces, rarely seen elsewhere, and their 'Sunday Profiles' - I see they did one on Joy Behar (adore her) a while back.

52 days later

ST
Steery
FYI you can download for free, full editions of the evening news programmes from ABC, CBS & NBC via iTunes. I watch them on my pc most days. I've been into the NBC NN studio whilst on the NBC Studio tour when I was in NYC last month (IMO a better tour than the BBC's, as we had access to the news studio).

My favourite set is CBS, although I can't make up my mind as to which programme I prefer overall. By getting them on iTunes, I don't have to stay up late (of course, I have to wait till the next day) and I can compare content more easier.

You can also download the first hour of the NBC "Today" programme and excerpts of "Good Morning America" from ABC; however, for some reason, you cannot get "The Early Show" from CBS.

Newer posts