NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 At age 82, Ted Koppel is equipped to take the long view when discussing what divides Americans.
The , now an occasional contributor to 鈥淐BS Sunday Morning,鈥 takes over from Jane Pauley for the first time this weekend to host a specially themed program on the topic.
The show includes stories on divisions created by social media and the Internet, talk radio and disparities in wealth. It delves into a border dispute between Oregon and Idaho and how other countries view Americans today. Koppel contributes three stories himself, including interviews with singer John Legend and television producer Norman Lear.
Koppel is distressed about much of what he sees, particularly the speed at which hate spreads online.
Yet in the show, he'll quote Gallup poll results that illustrate the remarkable turnaround in six decades, from opposition to acceptance, in how Americans felt about marriage between Black people and white people.
His point? We've been here before. Things can, and do, change.
鈥淭here is this problematic strain that runs through the American countryside that periodically we get tired of liking each other much and we start finding all the things we don't like about each other,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t's nothing new. We've done it many times before, most significantly with the Civil War, of course.鈥
The 鈥淐BS Sunday Morning鈥 special edition was initially planned for more than a month ago, but was put off following Koppel, who hosted ABC's 鈥淣ightline鈥 from 1980 to 2005, has contributed to the CBS show for about five years. His enthusiasm about the topic led Rand Morrison, 鈥淐BS Sunday Morning鈥 executive producer, to suggest that he host it.
Morrison said he's been surprised at how active Koppel has been, particularly in generating ideas. Koppel's story last year about how Mount Airy, North Carolina, is trying to capitalize on a connection to the fictional Mayberry of 鈥淭he Andy Griffith Show鈥 was particularly well received.
鈥淔or an old geezer, I'm doing OK,鈥 said Koppel, who's lived in Maryland for more than 50 years.
This weekend's special edition is pointedly titled 鈥淎 Nation Divided?鈥
Note the punctuation.
鈥淵ou'll leave the broadcast understanding that we've been here before as a nation,鈥 Morrison said. 鈥淚t's not a terminal situation. We want to give a good look at the battlegrounds, if you will. But we want to leave you with sun on the horizon.鈥
