Channel 2, the NBC affiliate in Anchorage, was always my favorite station growing up; I think it was mostly because it looked the best, crisp and clear compared to the soft, fuzzy look of ABC on Channel 13 and the weak static of Channel 11’s CBS. Tom Brokaw was my favorite of the Big Three anchormen, who have all been there as long as I can really remember. It didn’t hurt that Brokaw and I share a birthday; I always preferred him to Ronald Reagan among those of us born that day.

I haven’t consistently watched the evening news since going tv-less in college ten years ago, and the four years of pessimism since the election of 2000 haven’t increased my viewing habits either. For the first time in ages, I watched the entire NBC Nightly News last night, Tom Brokaw’s last broadcast as an anchor. I like Brian Williams, and I’m sure he’ll do a fine job, but it won’t be the same without Brokaw’s authoritative voice and kindly Midwestern smile. Jim Miklaszewski and Andrea Mitchell delivered reports, members of the old guard I remember watching in the ’80s; Robert Hager and Robert Bazell must have had the night off (though if you were wondering, MSNBC’s is still the worst-designed major website around).