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Dateline Dropping Stone Phillips as Cost Cutting Move(Dinosaur Media Alert!)
AP via Yahoo ^ | 5/22/07 | David Bauder

Posted on 05/22/2007 12:48:55 PM PDT by Clemenza

NEW YORK - NBC News is dropping "Dateline NBC" anchor Stone Phillips in a cost-cutting move when his contract expires at the end of June.

Phillips won't formally be replaced. His co-anchor, Ann Curry, will continue and other "Dateline NBC" reporters will serve as on-air hosts when the newsmagazine presents stories they're working on, the network said Tuesday.

"It's been a wonderful 15 years," Phillips said in a statement issued by NBC. "I'm profoundly appreciative of the many friends and colleagues, past and present, who have been a part of the `Dateline' family. This is a great news division with a bright future. I wish the people of NBC News all the best."

He didn't immediately return a call for further comment.

Phillips was teamed with Jane Pauley, who left NBC is 2003, for much of his time at "Dateline NBC." At its peak, the newsmagazine churned out as many as five episodes a week.

The newsmagazine is probably best known now for reporter Chris Hansen's "To Catch a Predator" series nabbing suspected pedophiles. On NBC's fall schedule, the newsmagazine has only one permanent time slot — on little-watched Saturday night. It will be on three times a week in June.

NBC News has been restructuring to cut costs. Earlier this spring, it didn't renew the contract of "Nightly News" weekend anchor John Seigenthaler.

The Phillips move was similar in that the network is concentrating money on reporting and more versatile personalities. Seigenthaler, for example, was replaced by Lester Holt — who's also host of "Weekend Today." Curry is a newsreader on "Today" and reporter for "Dateline."


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: datelinenbc; msmdeathwatch; stonephillips
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To: PhilDragoo

LOLOL!

Anytime there’s cuts in the DBM
it makes me all warm and fuzzy. ;o)


21 posted on 05/22/2007 12:59:00 PM PDT by dixiechick2000 (There ought to be one day-- just one-- when there is open season on senators. ~~ Will Rogers)
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To: Clemenza

Sounds like the kind of thing you do just before you shut down the newsroom.


22 posted on 05/22/2007 12:59:00 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: RexBeach

15 years is a long time in the TV network world. He lasted longer than Seinfeld, and longer than MASH.


23 posted on 05/22/2007 12:59:22 PM PDT by Clemenza (Rudy Giuliani, like Pesto and Seattle, belongs in the scrap heap of '90s Culture)
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To: Clemenza
Anyone using a name like Stone Phiips deserves to get cut off at the pass. Just another liberal “journalist” getting his butt fired. Good riddance to him.
24 posted on 05/22/2007 12:59:23 PM PDT by geezerwheezer (get up boys, we're burnin' daylight!!!)
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To: Brilliant
Sounds like the kind of thing you do just before you shut down the newsroom.

Within three years, or thereabouts, I predict.

25 posted on 05/22/2007 1:00:40 PM PDT by abb (The Dinosaur Media: A One-Way Medium in a Two-Way World)
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To: Cicero
what will the executives do to amuse themselves?

Play Bingo! Going after the young and restless on Friday nights.

26 posted on 05/22/2007 1:00:58 PM PDT by DeFault User
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To: Clemenza

“Ann Curry is a cutie.”

I think she’s the best news-person on television.

She can interview anyone, never have seen her act superior via her questioning. She can be funny and works “on her feet.”


27 posted on 05/22/2007 1:01:13 PM PDT by Shermy
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To: Clemenza

I’m not surprised by this. Most animatronics are terribly expensive to maintain (even the primitive ones like Stone).


28 posted on 05/22/2007 1:02:13 PM PDT by Petronski (Ron Paul will never be President of the United States.)
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To: Clemenza
Chris Hansen's "To Catch a Predator"

I wondered... if it's a sting operation, how come they are not required to read the perp his rights before they interview him?
29 posted on 05/22/2007 1:03:06 PM PDT by jaydubya2
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To: jaydubya2
Is that the program where they entrap a could be pedophile on film and then say "surprise! you're on candid camera?"


Entrapment is illegal; they are not entrappped.
30 posted on 05/22/2007 1:04:46 PM PDT by CAWats
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To: Clemenza

Isn’t Stone nearing 90?


31 posted on 05/22/2007 1:06:05 PM PDT by kjo
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To: Shermy

I agree with you 100%....she always seems like the real deal...


32 posted on 05/22/2007 1:06:14 PM PDT by Kimmers (Coram Deo)
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To: jaydubya2
I wondered... if it's a sting operation, how come they are not required to read the perp his rights before they interview him?


Because the perp has not been arrested yet. An interview is not an arrest.
33 posted on 05/22/2007 1:07:19 PM PDT by CAWats
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To: abb

I saw Stone on TV last night, and mentioned to Mr. TOL how surprised I was to see how “old” Stone looked. Oh well, I guess he will make someone a nice pet rock now. :-)


34 posted on 05/22/2007 1:07:49 PM PDT by tiredoflaundry (The greatest danger to our troops is the Congress of the United States.)
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To: Shermy
She can be funny and works “on her feet.”

As opposed to Lesley Stahl & Judy Woodruff...who work 'on their back'.

35 posted on 05/22/2007 1:09:26 PM PDT by DCPatriot ("It aint what you don't know that kills you. It's what you know that aint so" Theodore Sturgeon))
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To: Clemenza

IMHO I think they dropped Stone because he is not “touch,feely” enough for today’s audiences. People want feeling, the sympathetic sounding voice with personal and pitying sounding words sent out in a pitiable way. Stone reported the story, no elaboration and with no identifying touchy, feely words or body language. In my second humble opinion, I think he is the most handsome man ever to be a reporter for the MSM. Good luck Stone!


36 posted on 05/22/2007 1:09:33 PM PDT by debboo (Stop socialism, vote conservative)
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To: CAWats
"Entrapment is illegal; they are not entrappped."

It comes rather close to entrapment for entertainment purposes.
37 posted on 05/22/2007 1:09:51 PM PDT by jaydubya2
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To: DeFault User
what will the executives do to amuse themselves?

I predict they will create a new reality show: "So you wanna be a news anchor?" But we won't get to vote out on the winner.

38 posted on 05/22/2007 1:10:46 PM PDT by ponygirl
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To: jaydubya2

Close doesn’t count.


39 posted on 05/22/2007 1:10:49 PM PDT by CAWats
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To: Clemenza

I always had the impression that Phillips was just hired for his looks, voice and name. Lately he has been looking much older. Maybe that has something to do with it.


40 posted on 05/22/2007 1:11:40 PM PDT by wideminded
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