ABC 2000 Today
ABC News' marathon millennium broadcast from Times Square.
ABC 2000 Today was ABC News' special programming for the millennium celebrations around the world, airing from December 31, 1999, into January 1, 2000. It was part of the worldwide 2000 Today consortium in the United States and was anchored by Peter Jennings from the Times Square Studios in Manhattan. The broadcast ran 23 hours and 10 minutes, concluding two hours earlier than its international counterparts.
Quick Facts
- Runtime
- 23 hours 10 minutes
- Presenter
- Peter Jennings
- Country
- United States
- Location
- Times Square Studios, Manhattan, New York (Primary)
- Network
- ABC
- First aired
- 31 December 1999
- Last aired
- 1 January 2000
- Opening theme
- IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
Facts from the source article.
Correspondents and guests
Jack Ford spent the entire broadcast on the ground in Times Square. During the 11 p.m. eastern hour, Dick Clark—whose own New Year's Rockin' Eve was preempted—joined from the tenth floor of the Marriott Marquis to handle the traditional ball-drop countdown. ABC's correspondent lineup featured Barbara Walters in Paris, Diane Sawyer in New York, Charles Gibson in London, Cokie Roberts in Rome, Elizabeth Vargas in Sydney, Connie Chung in Las Vegas, Deborah Roberts in Orlando, Carole Simpson in Chicago, and Sam Donaldson at the Y2K Coordination Center in Washington, D.C. Over thirty more ABC News correspondents were placed worldwide to cover the new year across time zones.
Roger Goodman directed the production, which involved more than 1,000 technicians and news staff. In-studio guests included Barry Humphries as Dame Edna, David Blane, Al Franken, Rudy Giuliani, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. Phone interviews were conducted with Howard K. Smith, Alan Alda, and former president Gerald Ford. Musical acts included Billy Joel, Elton John, Enrique Iglesias, Faith Hill, 'N Sync, Phish, the Bee Gees, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, Neil Diamond, Harry Connick Jr., Kenny G, Ray Charles, Barry Manilow, and Barbra Streisand. The Bee Gees, Phish, Charlotte Church, and Kenny G were chosen for the international 2000 Today program.
Broadcast highlights
Planning for ABC 2000 began in late 1998. Dick Clark shared preliminary plans during the December 31, 1998 – January 1, 1999 episode of New Year's Rockin' Eve. In March 1999, ABC announced official plans for 27 hours of coverage anchored by Peter Jennings, later reduced to 23 hours and 10 minutes. For the first time since 1970, New Year's Rockin' Eve did not air, though ABC News president David Westin stated that Dick Clark would have some role in the New Year's special.
The broadcast was originally named ABC 2000 but was formally retitled ABC 2000 Today because ABC joined 60 other nations celebrating the new millennium. The network was part of the 2000 Today consortium, which included PBS and WGBH in the United States, the BBC in the United Kingdom, ATV in Hong Kong, CCTV in China, RCTI in Indonesia, RTM in Malaysia, TCS, STV12 and CNA in Singapore, ABC in Australia, TV Asahi in Japan, MBC in South Korea, SABC in South Africa, TVE in Spain, Rede Record in Brazil, GMA Network in the Philippines, RTL in Germany, RTP in Portugal, TV3 in New Zealand, Televisa and Once TV in Mexico, TVN in Chile, CBC and Radio-Canada in Canada, TF1 and France 2 in France, RAI in Italy, RTÉ in Ireland, ORF in Austria, NRK and TV3 in Norway, SF in Switzerland, SVT and TV3 in Sweden, ČT in the Czech Republic, RCN in Colombia, DR TV3 in Denmark, ERTV in Egypt, ERT in Greece, IBA and ICP in Israel, TVP in Poland, Antena 1 in Romania, YLE in Finland, TV3 in Estonia, TV3 in Latvia, TV3 in Lithuania, MTV in Hungary, VGTRK in Russia, Televise Samoa in Samoa, Canal 13 in Argentina, TRT in Turkey, Doordarshan in India, RCTV in Venezuela, Channel 3 in Thailand, PTS in Taiwan, and VTV in Vietnam.
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