Dateline NBC, usually called Dateline, is an American television newsmagazine and true-crime programme produced for NBC. It debuted on 31 March 1992 with Stone Phillips and Jane Pauley as anchors.
The programme began as a general newsmagazine built around interviews, investigations and current-affairs features. Over time it became especially associated with long-form true-crime reporting.
Format
Dateline uses a magazine format rather than a daily bulletin format. Episodes usually focus on one main story, with interviews, archive footage, police material, family accounts and correspondent narration.
The programme has covered breaking news, investigative stories, missing-person cases, murders, trials, wrongful-conviction claims and human-interest stories. Its modern identity is strongly tied to true crime, but NBCUniversal notes that it has also covered major national and international events.
History
NBCUniversal says Dateline premiered on Tuesday, 31 March 1992. It was designed as a newsmagazine and expanded to several nights a week after early audience interest.
Over three decades, the programme developed from a general network newsmagazine into a multi-platform franchise. NBCUniversal says it has aired nearly 3,000 original episodes and describes it as the longest-running series in NBC primetime history.
Presenters and Correspondents
Stone Phillips and Jane Pauley were the original anchors. Later figures associated with the programme include Lester Holt, Keith Morrison, Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Dennis Murphy and Chris Hansen.
Lester Holt became anchor in 2011. Keith Morrison's narration and interview style became closely associated with the programme's true-crime identity.
True Crime and Podcasts
Dateline has become one of NBC's main true-crime brands. It is distributed through broadcast television, streaming, syndication and podcasts.
NBCUniversal says the programme launched its first original podcast series in 2019 and later built a large library of podcast episodes. This helped extend the franchise beyond television scheduling.
To Catch a Predator
One of the best-known Dateline projects was To Catch a Predator, hosted by Chris Hansen. The series used hidden cameras and decoys to confront adults who had arranged to meet people they believed were minors.
The series brought major attention to online child-safety issues, but it also drew criticism over ethics, policing, production methods and the public shaming of suspects.
See Also
References
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