Late-Night Wars: Dave's Other Victim

By Stephen M. Silverman

03/05/2002 at 01:00 AM EST

It's not just Ted Koppel who's being dissed by ABC, which is wooing CBS's David Letterman, 54, to bring his late-night talk show in to replace the 22-year-old "Nightline" series. Also caught in the fray is "Politically Incorrect" host Bill Maher and his show, which ABC has reportedly assured Letterman is on its way out. In Aspen over the weekend to accept a Free Speech Award from the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival and the First Amendment Center, Maher, 46, declined to discuss his situation with the network, according to New York's Daily News. The paper reports that it is likely Maher will remain on the air at least until December, when his contract expires. But, finally, Koppel, 62, has spoken up -- on the op-ed page of Tuesday's New York Times, no less. Koppel says he hopes that his news show will not lose its time slot. He also hints that even if it does, he might find another network home for it. "The eulogies have been wonderful but premature," he writes. " 'Nightline' (or some program with a striking similarity to 'Nightline') ought to have a place in television's expanding universe, and I am confident that it will. I continue to hope that it will be at ABC, but that decision is beyond our control."