SUBTLE
By Cori Dauber
ABC, you may have noticed, is missing no opportunity to send Peter Jennings out on the road the last few weeks.
Why?
Well, you may have missed the ads the New York Times describes as full of Norman Rockwell images (I did.) But you certainly missed the country club meet and greets with the local advertisers, the plumbers, the carpenters, the local businessmen. I'm sure he loves regaling them with his superior knowledge, his insight. Even if he doesn't love using Justin Timberlake's old tour bus. It's all about catching any NBC viewers who may not be as sure of Brian Williams as they were of good old Tom Brokaw when Brokaw retires Dec. 1.
But isn't this subtle?
"I've only met Brian a couple of times,'' Mr. Jennings said. "I've watched him on the air. He's a very good broadcaster.
"As I look at Brian coming on,'' Mr. Jennings added, "I think a little bit about myself at a younger age. The anchor job is quite restraining.''
He continued, "I wonder if in time he'll come to wish he spent more time on the road.''
Nice. On the other hand, who knows, maybe a bit less travel will leave Williams more willing to call disgusting disgusting and be done with it.
By the way, keep this in mind next time you hear a complaint about declining news budgets:
Mr. Jennings's contract, which pays him an estimated $10 million annually, is scheduled to expire next year. Although David Westin, the president of ABC News, declined to reveal whether a contract extension had been discussed, he did say, "I expect him to be the anchor of 'World News Tonight' for several years to come.''
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