Thursday night, for the second time in just over two weeks, George Stephanopoulos served as the anchor of ABC's World News with Charles Gibson. No explanation was offered for Gibson's absence. Just as on June 4, the announcer set up the newscast: “From ABC News headquarters, this is World News with Charles Gibson. Reporting tonight: George Stephanopoulos.”
My Monday, June 4 NewsBusters item noted that Stephanopoulos “has co-hosted Good Morning America on several occasions over the years,” but that “from what I can recall, this is the first time the long-time adviser and strategist for Bill Clinton, and Dick Gephardt before that, has anchored World News -- or World News Tonight as it was previously named.” TV Newser, widely read inside the networks, picked up my item and no one responded to correct my memory, so I presume Thursday became only the second time the liberal operative turned TV news host of Sunday's This Week has anchored the evening newscast. Check the earlier posting for video of the opening of the June 4 newscast.
Stephanopoulos' lead story Thursday night, June 21: “Tonight, a matter of life and death: For the first time rankings of which hospitals have the best survival rates. How does yours measure up?”
