Charlie Gibson Retires, Diane Sawyer to Anchor ABC News

ABC has announced that Charlie Gibson will retire in January, to be replaced by Diane Sawyer as anchor of the ABC World News evening broadcast. The two had worked together closely since reviving Good Morning America in 1998; Gibson left that program in 2006 to take over ABC World News after Bob Woodruff was injured in Iraq and the network decided to replace his co-anchor, Elizabeth Vargas. Sawyer has long sought the anchor chair, so this must be exciting for her, though ABC now has some big shoes to fill at GMA. In email to his staff, Gibson wrote, "I love this news department, and all who work in it, to the depths of my soul... I have received much comment, and quite a few emails and letters referring to the signoff Eddie Pinder convinced me to use—wishing that everyone has had a good day. But the proudest part for me has been saying '...for all of us at ABC News...', since those words signify in my mind that I have been in a position to speak for an entire news department that I consider second to none." And, after the jump, video of a very giddy Sawyer the day after President Obama's inauguration:

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on September 2, 2009 1:52 PM

Comments [rss]

myrak

Diane Sawyer is to Journalism - News what Charles Manson is to Pro-Life..

dreamking

All this is true about Diane Sawyer, but I'm glad to see the back of Gibson. What a useless news-person.

NannyState

it'll be a Diane Sawyer/Katie Couric hair-pulling bitchfight while Brian Williams just sits at his desk with his hands down his pants and a widening grin on his face.

jt10000

Diane Sawyer is incompetent. Remember her interview with the Dixie Chicks, where she kept trying to get them to apologize for their daring to criticize President Bush.

Pathetic.

Mr Mel

They should bring back Joan Lunden. I liked her.

hunter.blatherer

Retiring in what respect, Charlie?

ides_of_march

Big deal, just another department store dummy who reads a teleprompter being replaced by another.

TrippinJoJo

fuck news

jules1000

yeah, the way she conducts interviews is awful. Her facial expressions show disbelief disgust for the person she's interviewing. She is not neutral but should be.

Is she also going to comment the evening news with her face??

nomnomnom

Perhaps by the time she takes over, she'll be so botoxed up that she won't be able to move her face?

pal

diane sawyer is so grotesquely fake and condescending.

(seriosuly)

Potty Boy

Really? I think she's so hot. I think she knows she's beautiful and gets a lot of attention, so on her morning show, she has to feign goofiness in order to offset envy.

thefacts

Can these detractors name anyone her age, 64, who looks that hot?

She is very bright and articulate. Married to no-dummy, Mike Nichols, and worked in the White House under Nixon (which may explain her politics.)