ABC NEWS FACES THE AFFILIATES

Perhaps taking a leaf from NBC’s “Meet the Press,” ABC News on Tuesday staged a closed-circuit production that might be called “Meet the Anchormen, the Correspondents and the Commentators.”

The show was held at the New York Hilton, where officials of 207 ABC-affiliated stations began their annual convention with presentations by ABC News, followed by a closed-door afternoon business session.

The meet-the-staff session included “World News Tonight” anchorman Peter Jennings and White House correspondent Sam Donaldson, who appeared live by satellite from London and Madrid, respectively.

Also facing the affiliates--live and in person--at the Hilton: “Nightline” anchor Ted Koppel, correspondent Barbara Walters and commentator George Will. All participated in a 40-minute question-and-answer panel moderated by ABC commentator/anchor David Brinkley, who recently re-signed with the network despite efforts by NBC, his old network, to win him back.

Each panelist opened with comments on domestic or world affairs, then answered a total of four questions before time ran out.

None of the questions involved ABC News operations or the Central Intelligence’s Agency’s still-pending complaint to the Federal Communications Commission about two disputed ABC News reports, aired last year, about an indicted businessman in Hawaii and the CIA.

Instead, they concerned Soviet-American relations, defense spending, the panelists’ predictions for the presidency in 1988 and whether they feel optimistic about the future of the United States.

Will, a longtime conservative, drew a burst of applause during the 40-minute session when he defended the Reagan Administration’s proposed defense budget for this year, and added: “I’m very sorry to say (this), but in a nasty world it’s expensive to stay free.”

At the start of Tuesday’s meeting, ABC News President Roone Arledge, aware of constant speculation that Koppel may eventually take over as anchorman of “World News Tonight,” gave Jennings an oblique vote of confidence when discussing ABC’s weeknight news program.

While the program is still third in ratings for the three network news shows, no personnel changes on ABC’s show are planned, Arledge said.

But “there are going to be some changes in emphasis that is going to make us close what has now become a very narrow gap,” he added.

He was referring to the fact that “World News Tonight” ended the 1984-85 season just one-tenth of a ratings point behind the second-place “NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw.”

Arledge didn’t elaborate on what changes in emphasis are planned for “World News Tonight.”

The impending $3.5-billion acquisition of ABC by Capital Cities Communications Inc. wasn’t mentioned by ABC executives during Tuesday morning’s session on news and sports.

The only reference to the proposed takeover came at the end of a closing clip of news footage, when a logo with the initials ABC and CCI appeared on the giant screen facing 950 station executives attending the convention’s opening day of business.

The affiliates’ meeting will end tonight with a gala production held at Radio City Music Hall.