Editing Nightline (section)

==== Reading of the names ====<!-- This section is linked from [[Corporate censorship]] -->
[[File:ABC_Nightline.png|thumb|right|225px|Former logo, used from January 1998 to December 2017. This variant (which was displayed upright until November 2002) is based on the program's original 1980–97 logo.]]
On April 30, [[2004 in television|2004]], Koppel read the names of members of the [[United States Armed Forces]] who were killed in the [[Iraq War]] since it began in March 2003. This prompted controversy from [[American conservatism|conservatives]] who believed that Koppel was making a political statement, and from management at [[Hunt Valley, Maryland|Hunt Valley]], [[Maryland]]-based television station owner [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]], which felt that ABC was undermining the war effort in Iraq; in protest, ordered forced its ABC-[[network affiliate|affiliated]] stations not to air that night's edition, and instead had the stations air a special in which the "merits" of the war would be debated.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-04-30 |title=War Dead Names Read On 'Nightline' |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/war-dead-names-read-on-nightline/ |access-date=2025-05-25 |website=CBS News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=seattletimes-sinclair>{{cite web|title=Sinclair known for conservative political tilt|url=http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2020756844_fishersinclairxml.html|publisher=[[Seattle Times]]|access-date=April 12, 2013}}</ref><ref name="ap-nightline">{{cite web|title=Names of U.S. war dead read on 'Nightline'|url=http://www.today.com/id/4864247/ns/today-entertainment/#.UWeoKNzrz-U|work=NBCNews.com|date=29 April 2004 |publisher=Associated Press|access-date=April 12, 2013}}</ref> Sinclair invited Koppel to participate in the replacement program, but he declined.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-04-30 |title=Sinclair Stations Pull Nightline Iraq Casualties Report |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/media-jan-june04-abc_04-30 |access-date=2025-05-25 |website=PBS News |language=en-us}}</ref>

Others, most notably the television columnist for ''[[The Washington Post]]'',{{Who|date=May 2025}} thought it was a [[Nielsen ratings|ratings]] stunt for [[Nielsen ratings|sweeps]]; indeed ''Nightline'' was the highest-rated program during that time period, and had about 30% more viewers than other editions of the program which aired that week. ABC responded to the controversy, saying that the program was meant to be "an expression of respect which seeks to honor those who have laid down their lives for this country."<ref name="ap-nightline" />

Koppel repeated the format on May 28, 2004, reading the names of service members killed in [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|the war in Afghanistan]], and on May 30, 2005, reading the names of all service members killed in Afghanistan or Iraq between the last program and the preparation of the program. This time, all of Sinclair's ABC stations aired the program as scheduled.