Ted Koppel

For 25 years, Ted Koppel anchored the popular late-night news program, "Nightline" (ABC, 1980- ), sending millions of viewers to sleep with a confidence matching his own that the day's news - and the leaders shaping events - were not left unexamined. Whether it was the Iran hostage crisis, the 1995 terrorist bombing of the Murrah Federal Building or the mind-numbing minutia of the O.J. Simpson murder trial, Koppel covered the news with a probing intelligence and keen eye for fairness, earning him a reputation as one of the best interviewers in professional journalism. Atop his assured on-camera persona, Koppel was well-respected by coworkers and colleagues alike. By 2005, however, Koppel's era at ABC was over. For his final sign off, Koppel demanded the same fairness of his audience that they routinely received from him, asking them to give the new anchor team a "fair shake" and to know that, despite the transition, they were still in good hands.