I think Koppel did it when he did because...
1) April was the deadliest month for the US in Iraq so far.
2) Niteline tries to be a topical news program.
3) It helps build ratings for the show due to the "controversy" and echos of Life magazine's issue on those who died in a week in Vietnam.
If you buy those reasons, then that's why it wasn't on Memorial Day, that's why it wasn't about Afghanistan, that's why it's not done every day (though the Newshour on PBS does do it every week or so when they have identification).
I don't know what the decision process in deciding to do the show and when was, but I think it's a tempest in a teapot.
"Anything to distract people from what the future of the country should be" seems to be the political MO these days...
My $0.02.
Cheers,
Scott.
