Ted Koppel Joins Brian Williams' 'Rock Center'

NEW YORK -- Ted Koppel will join Brian Williams’ upcoming newsmagazine Rock Center as a special correspondent. The widely reported news was made official Thursday by NBC News president Steve Capus.

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“A pioneer of broadcast journalism, Ted has touched every major news event spanning nearly five decades, and not only does he bring a tremendous amount of experience to the broadcast, he is a tireless advocate for quality journalism, and is one of our profession’s premiere storytellers,” Capus said in a statement.

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Added Williams: “My goal has been to make Rock Center the Cooperstown of our craft. Ted is a consensus Hall of Famer, joining the best team of men and women on the air today. While his place in the history of television journalism is already established, his work here is just beginning. This is the next chapter, and it’s an enormous honor to work with this giant and former competitor.”

Koppel spent 25 years at ABC News where he was the original anchor of Nightline. But he left the news division in 2005 when Nightline was re-imagined as a multi-topic, multi-anchor program.

In 2008, he was recruited to contribute to BBC World News America by the broadcast’s then executive producer Rome Hartman. And Hartman, who left BBC America to become ep of Rock Center, was also instrumental in bringing Koppel to NBC News.

Rock Center premieres Oct. 31 in the 10 p.m. time slot formerly occupied by the canceled Playboy Club.