Ted Koppel to Contribute to BBC America Newscast

LOS ANGELES, July 8: Discovery Channel’s managing editor,
noted U.S. journalist Ted Koppel, has signed on as a contributing analyst for BBC
World News America, which airs on BBC
America and BBC World News.

The veteran newsman, the former anchor of ABC’s Nightline, will offer his expertise on major international and
national news stories, including the 2008 presidential election. He is expected
to be part of the BBC World News America team broadcasting live from the party
conventions in Denver and Minneapolis.

"Ted Koppel is the quintessential American journalist
with a global perspective,” said executive producer Rome Hartman. “His smart,
sophisticated view of the world, and America's place in it, makes him a perfect
fit for BBC World News America. His
knowledge and insight on everything, from China's economic development to the
battle for the White House, is second to none and his analysis of stories and
issues is razor-sharp."

Koppel said of his decision to join BBC America’s flagship
news broadcast: "The BBC has worldwide capabilities that I can't think any
American network matches. To the degree that our future in this country is
dependent to any extent on what's happening in the rest of the world—which
you won't hear about a great deal on the American networks—then the BBC
can be very, very helpful."

Koppel's contributions will be in the form of conversations
with BBC World News America anchor Matt Frei and "illustrated essays"
featuring news footage that will complement his commentary.

—By Mansha Daswani