TV & VIDEO - Oct. 3, 1989

“NBC Nightly News” is experimenting with ways to improve the mix and pace of stories in the nightly newscast. News executives have been looking at various sample versions of a newscast that would include re-edited versions of pieces that have appeared on “Nightly News.” Some stories have been shortened, while other investigative pieces have been lengthened in the experimental versions. “This is normal fine-tuning,” says executive producer Bill Wheatley. “There are no radical changes afoot.” With increased competition from other TV news sources, the three network newscasts in recent years have been promoting issue-oriented series on suchsubjects as the environment, drugs and education. Although “Nightly News” recently ranked No. 2 in the nightly news ratings, it has been in third place against newscasts on ABC and CBS. NBC has been No. 1 in prime time for many months.