RETIRED. TED KOPPEL, 65, as the veteran anchor of ABC's Nightline, three years after the network's embarrassingly public attempt to bring in David Letterman to take over his time slot; in Washington. Since 1980, when the half-hour show was launched, Koppel has made Nightline a lively, aggressive examination of the news. Down-playing his exit, he ended his last broadcast by asking viewers to give his successors a chance or else, he said with a jab at ABC, "I promise you the network will just put another comedy show in this time slot. Then you'll be sorry."
DIED. CHRIS WHITLEY, 45, innovative...