Three major network television stations – NBC, CBS and ABC – have provided news and entertainment to American television viewers for decades. Each network broadcasts the evening news at 6:30 p.m., and for many American families, gathering around the television set to watch NBC anchor Tom Brokaw, CBS anchor Dan Rather, or ABC anchor Peter Jennings has become a tradition. But some media experts say that era may be coming to an end, with the retirement of NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw on December 1 after more than 40 years on the air, and the recent announcement by CBS anchor Dan Rather that he plans to step down early next year. —NBC News Anchor Tom Brokaw Retires (Voice of America)
I’m not sure that the Voice of America’s description of the centrality of the nightly TV news is as true today as it used to be, but the international audience that listens to VoA would benefit from that bit of cultural information.