Ted Koppel taking early leave from Discovery

BY The Associated Press
Published: November 27, 2008

NEW YORK — Former "Nightline” host Ted Koppel and his documentary team are taking a buyout from the Discovery Channel six months before the end of their contracts.



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Both sides said it was clear there was no interest in continuing to work together. Koppel’s last documentary, about lynching in the United States, aired a few weeks ago.

Top management at the network and its parent company, Discovery Communications Inc., has changed since Koppel arrived from ABC’s "Nightline” in January 2006. The new management is more interested in projects that can be rerun for a long time in the U.S. and internationally, and news programs have a shorter shelf life, a spokesman said.

Koppel noted that the documentary unit is expensive, perhaps more of an issue since Discovery went public two months ago.

The newsman, 68, said he wants to stay in the business.


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Related Topics: Business, Entertainment, Media, Television, TV Networks, Educational TV Shows, Nature Shows, Executive Management


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