Ted Koppel

In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Ted Koppel speaks about his family's emigration from England (where he was born) to the United States. Koppel recounts his early career in radio news in New York in the 1960s and his major assignment as a war correspondent in Vietnam. He outlines his work as a bureau chief in Miami and Hong Kong, and his appointment as ABC's chief diplomatic correspondent in Washington D.C. He describes reporting during the Nixon years, including covering Henry Kissinger's "shuttle diplomacy." He recalls ABC's coverage of the Iran Hostage Crisis -- a regularly scheduled late-night report, which led directly to the creation of the landmark series ABC News Nightline. Koppel discusses his role as the anchor and managing editor of Nightline, talks of the unique format of the show, and describes several of the program's noteworthy broadcasts. Don Carleton conducted the interview on June 14, 2005 in Washington, D.C.