After many years at the helm of Nightline, ABCNews' Nightline co-executive producer Leroy Sievers is finally leaving town. Although he departed somewhat ignominiously from ABC in November, he stretched out the departure until this week.


His statement in December following the surprise announcement of his almost immediate departure from the show said,

"My contract expired in September and the company has made it clear that it is considering fundamental changes to the format and direction that broadcast takes in the future. We were unable to agree on those changes and are currently negotiating the terms of my departure."

Translation: He's really leaving to spend more time with his family.


Sievers bid farewell to the ABC Washington staff Sunday night at the D.C. hangout Ben's Chili Bowl where they offer the Chili Half-Smoke for only $4.15 (Bill Cosby's Favorite!) The ABC gang took over the whole place for the evening to bid adieu to someone many of them had left a little sooner.


(NOTE: As far as sources at the Homeland Security Department tell Fishbowl this week, there was "no connection whatsoever" between the entire ABC Washington staff spending Sunday night eating chili and the Monday morning warning about the possibility of "gas bombs" in limos over the course of the inauguration this week.)


Sievers is departing D.C. and the mainstream media for what you might call a "soft landing"--a spring semester teaching at USC near his old home turf.