ABC

Tuesday morning on World News now, a former ABC Newser returns to discuss her new book. Sheilah Kast was an ABC correspondent for 15 years and a regular fill-in on World News Now back in the days when Aaron Brown and Kevin Newman anchored.

Kast and her husband Jim Rosapepe, the former Ambassador to Romania, have written a new book, "Dracula Is Dead," about Romania after the fall of communism in 1989.

The AP's David Bauder reports that as Robin Roberts waits to find out who will win the anchor spot alongside her on Good Morning America, "ABC is showing her some love."

In addition to the special prime time interview with Janet Jackson, Roberts is also hosting an hour-long special titled "Bright Lights. Big Stars. All Access Nashville" tomorrow.

"I always want to be a team player," she told the AP. "I'm not making any demands, or feeling like, 'Ah-ha, now it's my turn.' I'm the nice one. I do throw some elbows under the basket, though."

Bauder also writes:

ABC's morning show is a longtime, yet profitable, No. 2 to NBC's dominant "Today" show, and Roberts doesn't seem to expect the coming anchor change will bring with it a dramatic format shift.

"I have my routine in the morning and when it changes a little bit, I feel off-kilter," she said. "I can't imagine any sweeping changes, but you're always evaluating what your audience wants."

Broadcasting & Cable's Marisa Guthrie takes the pulse of ABC affiliates as they gird for the anchor change at ABC's "Good Morning America."

Wayne Godsey, president and GM at Kansas City's KMBC says, "The transition of anchors would be of far less concern to me than whether those anchors are the right people for the job," adding, "I have an incredible amount of confidence in David Westin. Look at what they've gone through, with Peter Jennings and the terrible accident in Iraq that injured [Bob Woodruff], and then the move to Charlie with Diane and the rest of the crew carrying the load in the morning. Through it all, the news division has performed very well."

Patti C. Smith, president and GM of Austin's KVUE says GMA could take a lesson from competitor the Today show. "They found the right person, an impeccable journalist and a terrific morning host [in Vieira]," she says. "If NBC can do it, then so can we."

"More [important] than timing is getting the people right," says Stewart Kellogg, president and GM of WAPT, in Jackson, Miss. GMA co-anchor Robin Roberts hails from Pass Christian, Miss., and is extremely popular with WAPT's viewers, Kellogg says.

When it comes to the timing, though not confirmed, Guthrie reports, "A succession announcement could come later this month" with Sawyer's last day at GMA "believed to be Dec. 11."

ABC's Jake Tapper sits down with Pres. Obama this afternoon. The interview will air on "World News" and "Nightline," as well as ABCNews.com. Tapper tweeted his "television exclusive" this morning asking: "What would you ask him?"

ABC was #1 last in the A18-49 demo thanks in part to the ABC News magazine "20/20."

Last night's show featured several reports on the Ft. Hood massacre as well as Diane Sawyer's interview with Rihanna, speaking for the first time about being attacked by her then-boyfriend, singer Chris Brown last February.

"20/20" won its time period in Total Viewers (8.2M) and A18-49 (2.7 rating/9 share). The Elizabeth Vargas-hosted show was also Friday's #1 TV show across each of the key demos: A18-34 (2.3/9), A18-49 (2.7/9) and A25-54 (3.1/9).

This was the show's biggest audience in more than 7 months and its best A18-34 rating in almost 3 years -- since Dec. 1, 2006.

"World News with Charles Gibson" will air a special one-hour edition tonight focused on yesterday's massacre at Fort Hood.

Bob Woodruff, Terry Moran and Ryan Owens will report from Texas on the investigation, the victims and the heroic first responders. Brian Ross will report on what is known about the alleged shooter and his motives. Martha Raddatz and Bill Weir will contribute reporting on the impact on the US military.

In addition, Charlie Gibson will have an exclusive interview with Army Chief of Staff General George Casey Jr. and his wife, Sheila.

Last night on the broadcast, Gibson reflected on his time in the military, discussing the location of the massacre with correspondent John Quinones: "I go back to my time in the military, John. This is a processing center. And I remember, we used to line up to get shots and whatever just before we were about to do anything."

ABC's Jeffrey Kofman will also be reporting live form Orlando on the mass shooting there.

It was the fall of 1979, and Iranian militants had seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 53 Americans hostage.

The late Roone Arledge, then president of ABC News, wanted extended network coverage.

"Roone had decided a long time before," Ted Koppel tells TVNewser, "that any time a big news story [broke], ABC News was going to do a special broadcast at 11:30 at night. And one day, it was his dream that there'd be a story that had such legs to it, that was so enduring, that he would actually be able to seize the time period."

He did just that. The 'temporary' program America Held Hostage: The Iran Crisis launched November 8, 1979 — four days after the Americans were taken. Frank Reynolds was named anchor. Koppel, then ABC's chief diplomatic correspondent, was a contributing reporter.

A few months later, Koppel took over anchoring duties at Hostage, a program slated to continue as long as the crisis lasted. But as the show gathered a following, it was re-born as Nightline, and has been a part of ABC's late-night lineup ever since.

Nightline debuted March 24, 1980, with Koppel at the helm — but only, he says, after both Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw declined offers to anchor the new program. Koppel, of course, became synonymous with Nightline, anchoring until his retirement from the program in 2005. Ted Koppel talks with TVNewser thirty years after it all began.

TVNewser: What was the impact of the program during the hostage crisis?

Koppel: Arguably, not the program, but the event — which was clearly magnified by the program — I think the event cost Jimmy Carter the [presidential] election [of 1980]...

continued...

ABC's "Nightline" was a #2 last week in Total Viewers and the 25-54 demo behind CBS' "Late Show." The Total Viewer gap was 40,000 viewers.

"Nightline" was second in 18-49 viewers behind NBC's "Tonight," but tied for first in the rating for that demo (1.0). The last time "Nightline" bested the "Tonight" show in total viewers for nineteen consecutive weeks was in 1994.

The numbers for the week of October 26:

Yes, it's November sweeps where national and local news outlets air their best stories and big interviews. Later this month, you'll hear from Sarah Palin and Janet Jackson. Just last night, NBC amortized its deal with Jenna Bush as she appeared on "The Jay Leno Show" fronting the 9@9 interview segment featuring her mother, former first lady Laura Bush (it was 9@9 instead of 10@10 adapting to the Central time zone.)

This morning, part I of Diane Sawyer's exclusive interview with Rihanna. And you have to give credit to the GMA producers for stating, in the intro to the story, that tomorrow's part II will include Rihanna describing "in detail what happened in the car with Chris Brown."

Barbara Walters isn't the only ABC News star with a big get this month. GMA's Robin Roberts sits down for an exclusive interview with Janet Jackson as part of a primetime special. The younger sister of Michael Jackson is allowing cameras into her Malibu home for the first time ever for the interview.

"In the Spotlight with Robin Roberts: Janet Jackson" airs Wednesday, Nov. 18 on ABC.

This is the second "In the Spotlight" special Roberts is hosting this month. "Bright Lights. Big Stars. All Access Nashville," airs Tuesday at 10pmET on ABC.

And then there's Diane Sawyer's interview with Rihanna tomorrow...