Primetime Information

Primetime is an American news magazine show which debuted on ABC in 1989 with co-hosts Sam Donaldson and Diane Sawyer and originally had the title Primetime Live.

History

Early history

Originally, the program was aired live on the ABC network and featured a live studio audience. The first interviews included Roseanne Barr and a piece on a Middle East hostage crisis reported by Chris Wallace. Donaldson and Sawyer would allow audience members to comment on the program and ask questions of the guests, who were usually interviewed live via satellite or in studio, a practice that resulted in many technical difficulties and easy satirization on Saturday Night Live. Internal conflicts between Sawyer and Donaldson later led them to be separated, and the audience eliminated. However, the program has always had some live elements when broadcast as Primetime Live, generally consisting of Donaldson reading the opening remarks of packaged stories and the opening title as Primetime... LIVE!. Over time, live interviews were de-emphasized and hidden camera investigations began to occupy more of the schedule.

Cancellation and changes

In 1998, ABC, in an effort to consolidate all of their news magazines, canceled Primetime Live and combined it with ABC's other well-known news magazine, 20/20. The move was made to compete more effectively with NBC's Dateline, which ran multiple nights of the week. In 2000, however, ABC relaunched the program. It was renamed Primetime Thursday with Charles Gibson replacing Donaldson. Beginning in the 2004–2005 season, the show was known once again as Primetime Live. Its pair of co-hosts from the previous season, Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer, was replaced by the team of Sawyer, David Muir, Chris Cuomo, Cynthia McFadden and John Quiñones. Beginning with the July 21, 2005, broadcast, the show's title has been Primetime.

Food Lion scandal

One hidden camera investigation, of Food Lion, backfired on ABC when Food Lion sued. Food Lion sued for trespass and breach of loyalty, claiming that the report was produced under deceptive pretenses, and ABC employees hired by Food Lion wearing hidden cameras filmed other Food Lion employees without following proper notification procedures. Food Lion did not sue for libel, as the one-year statute of limitations had already run by the time it received all the footage shot by ABC, and prior to receiving the footage, its attorneys believed it would be difficult to prove that ABC acted with actual malice. A jury awarded Food Lion $5.5 million, but later appeals by ABC to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals resulted in the damages reduced to $2.00.

Format change

Starting with the 2007–08 television season, Primetime has stopped airing as a weekly show. The series currently airs in special formats or sporadically as a special.

Formats

Current formats of Primetime include:

• Primetime: What Would You Do? - Hidden camera program featuring artificial situations in public and social settings designed to gauge the reaction (or lack thereof) of regular citizens.

• Primetime: Basic Instincts - Followed the same format as What Would You Do?, but in more of a controlled test setting.

• Primetime: Medical Mysteries - Basic format reporting on cases of mysterious ailments.

• Primetime: The Outsiders - Human interest format involving subjects with odd habits or standards of living.

• Primetime: Crime - Branding for episodes revolving around a full criminal case, including arrest, trial and aftermath.

• Primetime: Family Secrets - Summer series revolving around famous family conflicts, both celebrity and criminal.

• Primetime: Mind Games - Investigative series revolving around psychology and other studies with heavy skepticism around them, such as magicians and televangeists.

Co-hosts and reporters

Co-Hosts:

• Sam Donaldson (1989"1998)
• Charles Gibson (2000"2004)
• Diane Sawyer (1989"1998, 2000"present)
• Chris Cuomo (2000"2007)
• Cynthia McFadden (2004"2007)
• John Quiñones (2004"present)
• David Muir (2004"2007)

Reporters:

• Jay Schadler: contributes reports
• Mary Fulginiti: report on legal and investigative issues primarily for "Primetime"
• Rondi Charleston (former)

International broadcasts

ABC News programming is shown daily on the 24 hour news network Orbit News in Europe and the Middle East. This includes ABC Primetime.

In Australia, the program airs at 2pm Saturdays (Extended Edition) and 1.30pm Thursdays on Sky News Australia.

In Canada, Citytv does have rights to the show but only airs it when a limited series is scheduled. Primetime: What Would You Do? is currently on the air airing in simulcast with ABC.

Ratings

Highest Rated Episode: 6/14/1995-Diane Sawyer interviews Michael Jackson & Lisa Marie Presley and garnered 37,532,000 viewers. Ms. Sawyer's interview tactics raised the eyebrows of more serious journalists when she used pretaped "persons on the street" to ask the young newlyweds prying questions about their personal sex life.

1989-1990: #92, 9.1 million
1990-1991: #60, 9.8 million
1991-1992: #40, 12.4 million
1992-1993: #31, 12.7 million
1993-1994: #17, 14.2 million
1994-1995: #31, 11.7 million
1995-1996: #18, 12.3 million
1996-1997: #15, 11.9 million
1997-1998: #22, 14.2 million
2000-2001: #50, 11.1 million
2001-2002: #49, 10.3 million
2002-2003: #81, 8.5 million
2003-2004: #83, 8.0 million
2004-2005: #95, 7.0 million
2005-2006: #98, 7.1 million
2006-2007: #145, 6.1 million