Reynolds was a New York-based anchor of the "ABC Evening News" from 1968 to 1970 and later was the Washington, D.C.-based co-anchor of "World News Tonight" from 1978 until his death in 1983. During the Iran hostage crisis, he began the 30-minute late-night program "America Held Hostage", which later was renamed "Nightline", and then taken over by Ted Koppel.