Jennings beats Brokaw for the first time in more than a year

Ironically, Wallau’s announcement came on the very day that the network received word that ABC’s World News Tonight with Peter Jennings ended the record 53-week winning streak of NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw in the ratings. The ABC newscast finished the week with a 6.5 rating and a 15 share, representing 8.34 million total viewers, versus NBC’s 6.0/14, representing 8.20 million viewers, the lowest figures the Brokaw newscast has pulled since the first week of July, 1996. Meanwhile, Reuters reported Tuesday that ABC has had preliminary talks with CNN about forming a possible news alliance. It had earlier been reported that the cable news channel was also talking to CBS about linking up but that talks had stalled over control issues. Appearing on CNN’s Larry King Show Tuesday night, ABC anchor Peter Jennings remarked, “I think it makes absolute sense that CNN is talking to ABC.” However, Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal quoted a CNN spokesman as saying, “There are no ongoing talks with any potential partners.”