In preparation for Ted Koppel’s departure from ABC News on Oct. 22nd, the network has announced the three anchors who will jointly share his coveted position:  Martin Bashir, Cynthia McFadden and Terry Moran - apparently it takes three people to fill Ted’s shoes.  In addition to the beefed-up team, ABC will also expand Nightline’s one-topic format and devote that time slot to several issues. 

Unfortunately, the one-topic format was something that I truly admired about Nightline because it helped to differentiate itself from other news programs.  Where else could I watch a whole half-hour devoted simply to Muslim comedians?  I’ve also never been a huge fan of Cynthia McFadden, though I do like Bashir and Moran, so this late-night experiment could turn into a big snoozer for me.  Then again, this whole changeover might not be so bad after all—I’ll now be able to start my beauty sleep promptly @ 11:30pm.

Read the following press release from ABC for more details.

ABC NEWS NAMES MARTIN BASHIR, CYNTHIA MCFADDEN, AND TERRY MORAN CO-ANCHORS OF “NIGHTLINE”

NEW FORMAT TO LAUNCH NOVEMBER 28, 2005

Martin Bashir, Cynthia McFadden, and Terry Moran have been named co-anchors of “Nightline,” ABC News President David Westin announced today. The three will assume anchor duties Monday, November 28, 2005 with Mr. Moran in Washington and Ms. McFadden and Mr. Bashir in New York. Ms. McFadden will continue to anchor and report for ABC News “Primetime,” where she has had a role since 1996, and Mr. Bashir, who joined ABC in 2004, will continue to report for the news magazine “20/20.” Expanding its format to multiple news topics each night, “Nightline” will be produced live from its studios in Washington and ABC’s Times Square Studios in New York. Ted Koppel, who has been anchoring the program since its inception in 1980, departs ABC on November 22nd after 42 years at the network.

“Building on the great legacy of ‘Nightline’ as we go forward to the next era is both a challenge and an exciting opportunity. Cynthia McFadden, Martin Bashir, and Terry Moran bring the combination of intelligence, experience, and perspective that can ensure that Nightline’s future is every bit as bright as its past,” said Mr. Westin.

“I am delighted and honored to be working with such an accomplished team of journalists,” said “Nightline” executive producer James Goldston. “These are three of the most talented journalists working in television. They will bring an incisive and distinctive edge to our journalism in the great tradition of ‘Nightline’.”

Terry Moran, ABC News’ Chief White House Correspondent since 1999, is currently the anchor of “World News Tonight Sunday.” As White House correspondent, he reports on all aspects of the Bush administration for ABC News platforms and has traveled widely covering President Bush’s domestic and foreign trips. As a key member of the ABC team covering the events of September 11th, Mr. Moran has continued to report on all aspects of the war on terror, and in November, 2003 he traveled to Baghdad to report on the U.S.-led occupation and the insurgency against it. In covering Vice President Al Gore’s presidential campaign, Mr. Moran also reported on the subsequent legal battle for the White House.

Cynthia McFadden joined ABC News in February 1994 as the network’s legal correspondent and two years later was named a correspondent for “Prime Time Live,” for which she has been a co-anchor since September 2004. Throughout her tenure at ABC, Ms. McFadden has reported several news-breaking stories, including a first-hand look at the process leading up to a man’s execution on Louisiana’s death row, and just this month two reports for “Nightline” on the U.S. government’s attempts to secure loose nuclear materials and weapons domestically and abroad. In the wake of the London Bombings last July, Ms. McFadden traveled to Pakistan for an exclusive interview with President Musharraf, which aired on “Nightline” and other ABC News platforms. For “Primetime” also last summer, Ms. McFadden reported and anchored on the lives of children in America with a groundbreaking documentary on the phenomenon of grandmothers raising their grandchildren.

Martin Bashir joined ABC in September 2004 as a correspondent for the newsmagazine “20/20” for which he has reported international news-breaking stories including the investigation of BALCO founder Victor Conte. He is also well known for the landmark documentary, “Living with Michael Jackson” and other investigative reports for the BBC and ITV in Britain, including one for an in-depth investigation of one of Britain’s most notorious racially motivated murders. His many honors include a BAFTA Award and two Royal Television Society Program of the Year awards.