Future of 'Nightline' Remains Uncertain
Date: 06 March 2002
By Jim Rutenberg and Bill Carter
Jim Rutenberg
Future of TV program Nightline remains uncertain after meeting between Walt Disney Co president Robert A Iger and ABC News anchor Ted Koppel; ABC News anchor Barbara Walters expresses support for Koppel, adding her voice to those of ABC News anchors Peter Jennings and Sam Donaldson; ABC News publicly denies report in USA Today that correspondents George Stephanopoulos and Claire Shipman are in line to replace Cokie Roberts and her This Week co-anchor Sam Donaldson, possibly in fall; Roberts later says she is planning to leave program in November (M)
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In a Response, Koppel Writes That 'Nightline' Still Fills a Need
Date: 05 March 2002
By Jim Rutenberg
Jim Rutenberg
Ted Koppel issues carefully worded response to ABC's efforts to replace his news program Nightline with show starring David Letterman; Koppel, in article published in March 5 article in Op-Ed page of New York Times, says he hopes program will not lose its time slot; he hints that if if does, it might find another home, but not necessarily at ABC; criticizes executives for saying program is outdated; Koppel's response comes as Robert A Iger, president of Walt Disney Co, parent of ABC, meets with Koppel in Washington; photo (M)
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Sports of The Times; Powerhouse Drones On, Unappreciated
Date: 06 March 2002
By Jere Longman
Jere Longman
Jere Longman Sports of The Times column asserts that Connecticut University women's basketball team receives little national media attention, despite undefeated 33-0 season and Big East tournament win against Boston College, because of gender bias; photo (M)
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Market Place; Disney Woes Force Leader To Confront Hard Questions
Date: 06 March 2002
By Laura M. Holson
Laura
Some management decisions by Walt Disney Co president Robert Iger and chairman Michael D Eisner have alienated stars like Regis Philbin and Barbara Walters; Disney's bold move to get David Letterman away from CBS to replace Ted Koppel's Nightline makes sense; if successful, it could create new momentum for Eisner and send right signals about toughmindednesss to Wall Street; episode, whatever outcome, will leave team of bruised egos inside ABC News, as well as questions about Eisner's handling of talent; photos (Market Place column) (M)
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World Briefing | Asia: Thailand: Under Pressure, Magazine Apologizes
Date: 05 March 2002
By Seth Mydans (NYT)
Seth NYT
Far Eastern Economic Review apologizes for recent article about Thailand's government and monarchy; police weigh lifting expulsion orders for two of magazine's reporters (S)
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Marvin Frankel, Federal Judge and Pioneer of Sentencing Guidelines, Dies at 81
Date: 05 March 2002
By Steven Greenhouse
Steven Greenhouse
Marvin E Frankel, outspoken litigator, judge and legal scholar whose views helped to establish sentencing guidelines for federal courts, dies at age 81; Frankel was instrumental in drafting brief for New York Times in landmark First Amendment case, Times v Sullivan, which set sharp limits on libel suits brought by public figures; in March 1960, with sit-ins and civil rights marches spreading across South, New York Times ran advertisement seeking contributions for Rev Martin Luther King Jr and other civil rights leaders; ad included several inaccuracies: it incorrectly said that student dining hall had been padlocked to starve students into submission; jury found ad libelous, but Supreme Court, in unanimous 1964 decision, overruled that decision, saying press could not satisfy need for vigorous debate of issues if it had to prove accuracy of every statement about public official; photo (M)
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MEDTRONIC RECEIVES BACKING FOR HEART DEVICE
Date: 06 March 2002
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Medtronic Inc receives narrow backing of Food and Drug Administration for medical device, InSync ICD, that treats heart failure and works as defibrillator (S)
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WASTE MANAGEMENT SAYS IT WILL CUT 2,000 JOBS
Date: 05 March 2002
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Waste Management will cut 2,000 jobs, or 3.5 percent of its work force (S)
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CITIGROUP PLANS $4 BILLION TRAVELERS OFFERING
Date: 05 March 2002
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Travelers Property Casualty Corp, subsidiary of Citigroup Inc, will offer investors 210 million shares in initial public offering worth as much as $4 billion, largest ever for insurance company (S)
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FARMLAND PLANS TO SELL GRAIN TRADING BUSINESS
Date: 06 March 2002
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Farmland Industries plans to sell or shut down Tradigrain, its unprofitable international grain- and sugar-trading business; firm faltered after Farmland sold control of US grain depots to Archer Daniels Midland Co in April (S)
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