FOR RELEASE MARCH 19, 2009
Two years into a new generation of anchors, one hard reality about network news is clearer than before. Changing the cast and even the content of the programs will not change the dynamics of the enterprise. The limitations of time slot, changing lifestyles and the growing desire of Americans to get their news on demand are more compelling. The problem was not that the anchors had been there too long or that the shows were too traditional.
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It does not take policy positions. The Center conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, computational social science research and other data-driven research. It studies politics and policy; news habits and media; the internet and technology; religion; race and ethnicity; international affairs; social, demographic and economic trends; science; research methodology and data science; and immigration and migration. Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder.
© Pew Research Center 2026
Two years into a new generation of anchors, one hard reality about network news is clearer than before. Changing the cast and even the content of the programs will not change the dynamics of the enterprise. The limitations of time slot, changing lifestyles and the growing desire of Americans to get their news on demand are more compelling. The problem was not that the anchors had been there too long or that the shows were too traditional.