Pubdate: Thu, 23 Sep 1999
Source: Associated Press
Copyright: 1999 Associated Press
Author: David Bauder, AP Television Writer

PRODUCER OF ABC'S TROUBLED 'THIS WEEK' QUITS

NEW YORK (AP) -- There's a change at the top of ABC's struggling "This
Week," which has lost its dominance among Sunday morning public affairs
shows to NBC's "Meet the Press."

Dorrance Smith, whose second stint as executive producer began in 1995, quit
on Wednesday. The former adviser to President Bush hinted he may jump back
into politics.

Smith was the original producer of "This Week" when it premiered with David
Brinkley as moderator in 1981. The show livened up the often stale Sunday
morning political landscape and was a ratings powerhouse.

Yet "This Week," now with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts as hosts, has lost
27 percent of its audience since Brinkley left in 1997. "Meet the Press" now
has more than 900,000 more viewers on average than "This Week" every Sunday.

The show can still make waves -- like when presidential candidate Bill
Bradley and Donaldson on Sunday traded admissions that they had tried
marijuana -- but is often eclipsed by NBC in landing newsmakers.

Smith returned to ABC and "This Week" in 1995 after his stint in the Bush
administration and work in the private sector.

"After producing over 600 Sunday morning programs, it is time for me to move
on," Smith said in a statement. "I wish my colleagues the best as I pursue
other opportunities that are available in the upcoming political year."

With the show struggling, management didn't stand in his way. ABC News
President David Westin said he was "grateful for his many years of dedicated
service."

"Dorrance has been doing this a long time," Donaldson said. "It got to be a
grind. I can sympathize with him."

In an effort to appeal to more viewers, "This Week" recently began producing
the show earlier, at 9 a.m. It airs at that time in New York, jumping the
gun on "Meet the Press," but many markets still broadcast the program on
tape at 10:30.

Senior producer Virginia Mosely will fill in for Smith until a permanent
replacement is named. Donaldson said he didn't expect, from recent
conversations with Westin, that the show's personalities, which also include
George Will and George Stephanopoulos, will be changed.

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