NEWS HOLE

In his article on “Dateline NBC” (“No Slow News Days Here,” Oct. 11), Robert Strauss says that “no one has ever before produced five hours of prime-time network programming a week.” He fails to mention that ABC came very close during the fall of 1952, when it had 4 1/2 hours of “All Star News” (Sundays and Wednesdays 8-9, Mondays 9-10, Thursdays 8-8:30 and Friday 8:30-9:30) in prime time.

Granted, this ambitious early news effort failed in the ratings against such blockbuster competition as Ed Sullivan’s “Toast of the Town,” “I Love Lucy,” Arthur Godfrey, Burns & Allen and Groucho Marx’s “You Bet Your Life.” The program did have interviews, news analysis and documentaries, much the same as today’s newsmagazine programs. Perhaps ABC was just 40 years ahead of its time.

KYMBERLEIGH RICHARDS

Van Nuys