Dick Clark's New Year Airtime Drops; 10, 9, 8...
This New Year's Eve is being touted as the wildest, most
hellacious bash of all time. For Dick Clark, however, it won't
be quite as rocking. Clark, the former "American Bandstand" host
who has virtually cornered the market on TV specials, including
the annual 90-minute New Year's fest, is being downsized to make
room for daylong ABC News coverage of the millennial turnover,
anchored by Peter Jennings. President Clinton is expected to
address the nation near midnight, potentially bumping other
programming off the airwaves. Clark who has been host of New
Year's Eve specials for the past 27 years is still scheduled to
count down the traditional ball drop in Times Square, but he
won't be producing entertainment segments. "I've been relieved
of those duties and just assigned to the ball," says Clark, who
declined to discuss specifics about the network's decision.
Guess that's one fellow who won't be partying like it's 1999.