Koppel makes jump to Discovery

NEW YORK, July 12 (UPI) -- Ted Koppel is set to return to U.S. TV after leaving ABC's "Nightline," with a new one-hour special on the Discovery Times Channel.

The special -- the first installment of Koppel's new deal with Discovery -- is set to air July 17, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Koppel, who left "Nightline" last November, will interview Nobel Prize winners for his new special, "Petra: A Quest for Hope."

The special will focus on a conference of Nobel laureates in Jordan last month, during which they talked about world problems.

"You couldn't imagine a nicer, more dedicated group of people, and you can't imagine issues that deserve more attention," Koppel said. "They're just not getting any."

"Petra" will feature interviews with great thinkers including the Dalai Lama and Irish peace activist Betty Williams, the Times said.

"I couldn't help but be moved by their decency, their sincerity," said the former news anchor. "In the final analysis, what's going to change human behavior if not some people setting an extraordinary example?"