NBC anchorman Brian Williams’ executive producer is the first casualty in a suddenly ferocious ratings war with ABC’s Charlie Gibson, according to sources.
John Reiss, who took over TV’s No. 1 newscast two years ago only to see it lose ground to Gibson, is expected to be replaced shortly, sources said yesterday.
The move was first reported earlier this week by Radar Online.
Neither Reiss nor NBC News officials responded yesterday to calls and e-mails seeking comment.
“He’s a good producer, the staff loves him and he took the broadcast through a tough transition [from Brokaw to Williams],” a newsroom source said yesterday.
Despite the rosy review, it is believed that his relationship with Williams has been frosty.
NBC has been the most-watched of the three evening news broadcasts for about a decade. Williams has maintained the top spot since 2005, after Tom Brokaw stepped down. ABC’s Gibson began occasionally outscoring the once unbeatable newscast when he took over last summer.
Now it appears ABC has overtaken NBC – winning two of the last three weeks, albeit by small margins.