Dateline: A Legacy of True Crime and Iconic News Coverage
A Look Back at How Dateline Shaped a Generation of Investigative Journalism and Expanded into Syndication, Streaming, and Podcasts as it Approaches its 33rd Season.
September 25, 2024
How Dateline on NBC Defined a Generation of Investigative Journalism
Dateline premiered 32 years ago on NBC, and over three decades, it has aired nearly 3,000 original episodes, earning its place as the longest-running series in NBC primetime history.
The show debuted on Tuesday, March 31, 1992, with anchors Stone Phillips and Jane Pauley. NBC was aiming to develop a winning formula for a newsmagazine, and Dateline was just that; a compelling one-hour mix of breaking news, investigative journalism, and big interviews.
Viewers responded enthusiastically, prompting NBC to expand Dateline to as many as five nights a week not long after its debut.
Over the years, Dateline has continued to evolve. Lester Holt joined as anchor in 2011, and the show pioneered the True Crime genre, long before it became the phenomenon it is today.
Dateline has covered a diverse range of significant events beyond just true crime, addressing major national and international incidents such as the Oklahoma City bombing, the September 11 attacks, and the tragic death of Princess Diana. The show has also examined high-profile cases like the O.J. Simpson trial and the Columbine shooting, providing reporting and investigations into the complexities of the criminal justice system.
Dateline’s Expansion into Syndication, Streaming and Podcasts
Today, Dateline crosses multiple platforms. Responding to fans, the program launched a Dateline 24/7 streaming channel. Dateline is also the #1 true crime series in syndication and the #1 franchise on Oxygen.
Beyond the screen, Dateline has become a podcast juggernaut. Since launching its first original podcast series in 2019, Dateline has produced 17 original podcasts and built a library of more than 500 Dateline episodes. With more than 1.7 billion lifetime downloads, Dateline continues to rank as the #1 True Crime podcast.
Keith Morrison’s first original podcast, The Thing About Pam, inspired a scripted NBC series starring Renée Zellweger.
And when the Dateline Originals podcast premiered in January 2024, The Washington Post described it as “a new podcast hub collecting all of “Dateline’s” addictive narrative series into a single feed, so fans can stream them seamlessly.”
Dateline has grown into a cultural phenomenon, thanks to its loyal fan base, which includes some notable celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Bill Hader, and Lady Gaga.
