Diane Sawyer Replacing Charlie Gibson As ABC "World News" Anchor

Diane Sawyer will replace Charlie Gibson as ABC "World News" anchor, the New York Post's Michael Starr first reported.

Sawyer will become the second woman to solo-anchor the evening news, joining Katie Couric, who helms the "CBS Evening News." The move will make Brian Williams the lone man anchoring the network evening newscasts.

READ COURIC'S STATEMENT ON GIBSON AND SAWYER HERE

READ BRIAN WILLIAMS' STATEMENT ON GIBSON AND SAWYER HERE

Gibson told colleagues Wednesday that he would be leaving the program in January. He has anchored since 2006. The New York Times' Bill Carter reports that Gibson decided to step down "after long conversations with ABC News president David Westin."

"It has not been an easy decision to make," Gibson told colleagues in an e-mail. This has been my professional home for almost 35 years. And I love this news department, and all who work in it, to the depths of my soul.

READ GIBSON'S FULL E-MAIL HERE

"There is no one like Charlie Gibson and it is an enormous honor to be asked to join the terrific broadcast he and the great team of journalists have built at 'World News,' Sawyer said. "Until then, I'll be getting up early and spending mornings, as always, counting myself so lucky to be with Robin, Chris and Sam and the incredibly smart, talented and dedicated team of 'Good Morning America.'"

"Diane Sawyer is the right person to succeed Charlie and build on what he has accomplished," Westin said. "We are fortunate to have a journalist of Diane's proven ability and passion to step into the important position of anchor for World News."

Below, see photos of Diane Sawyer through the years:

Diane Sawyer poses with runners-up after winning the 1963 America's Junior Miss pageant.

comments(2725)

Comments

[hauty007]

priceless...what a waste....all FLUFF no substance, I'll never watch.

[nogornc]

Way to go Diane - I just wish it meant a fraction of what it used to.

[AmandaRuth]

just want to remind people that Diane worked in the Nixon whitehouse and cried when he resigned. I don't think the biased ABC reporting will change much.

[stagebandman]

Charlie Gibson is 66 years old. Diane is only two years younger. I think she is just an interim anchor until someone rises up to take the spot for a good long time.

[djginsberg109]

Dear Sir or Madam,
A number of years ago, when I still worked for the V.A. Medical Center in Cleveland, that hospital was reviewed by Diane Sawyer. Her coverage was extremely biased and in several areas, even grossly untrue. I hope you do not expect to be congratulated for her selection for Anchor for your evening news.
I beileve, that our hospital was not the only organization that was so badly treated, but that could be expected from anyone who took the Republican view of government function. These are the people, who underfunded most government agencies and then cited the unavoidable failures or the cuts in service, that were the direct result of their "starving the beast."
Unless the leopard has changed her spots, we can look forward to years of dishonest reporting. Thank G-d for NBC.
David J. Ginsberg, MD

[tmo7734]

No loss. Charlie Gibson was milk toast. However, Diane Sawyer is much worse. The queen of sickening sweet and softball questions won't make good journalism. Notice I didn't say "great." Those days are long gone.

[NORBIT]

Maybe they should have hired a ratings-challenged ex-sportscaster from msnbc!
..then they could have called ABC the channel of uninformed HATE!

[NORBIT]

Diane Sawyer:


To: The Progressives

From: Richard M. Nixon (with love!) lol lol lol

[Budokan]

So an ex-Nixon staffer gets the nod. Hardly surprising.

There's you're "Liberal" media.

[VivaZapata]

the unexciting world of talking heads

[yweston]

I finally realize people will criticize no matter what. I guess it's just the nature of the game. If you're "doing" anything you will be criticized.

[jentilpet]

continued from Jentilpet's "comments"..Giving an opinion does not a "critisism" make! Your prophetic nature,reasoning that ..everyone "criticizes" everyone..is not the "nature of "any" game nor is that a "quote",[if it is, I must have missed that!..You didn't give "your" opinion..that is what we do here,right? Tell me,what is your opinion of Diane Sawyer? The "nature" as you put it,covers a multitude of subjects on what we think,& feel about the world around us,like society..how could we exsist without our opinions? We need to criticize those who deserve it,but this had nothing to do w/ it,rather,this "blog-like" question wanted our opinion,& part of ANY opinion comes some type of critical..­critique.l­ikened to a restaurant critic..right,where would we all be?There should be More of it when it comes to the truth about who deserves it in the media,all I mentioned are boring,ask insipid questions,What do you hear?

[jentilpet]

This is ridiculous!! I Posted my opinion & it is not here! There was another comment,this is the 2nd one...after..the original! So where is it? It takes time & thought to compose these things,when one wants others to know..educating others,introducing new thoughts,about Sawyer's "Pained" expressions while she interviews­..sure,whe­n she's one-on-one w/ a former associate,there's a relationship there,they can relate,but when she hears things she doesn't understand,it's because she's had a charmed life,& it doesn't fit in her world! Couric,is the best anchor/newswoman/no inuendo's like Contessa Brewer,who acted like a spoiled brat in March,after Michael Jackson announced his concert,she wouldn't stop "knocking" him over& over! She doesn't have the facts re: trial,trut­h,extortio­n,devoid of rythum,obviously listened to John Denver..he was nice,but..really! there's no comparrison as we know,that is if you're sane!Why didn't she carry on about DR? Murray.."a­fter?",Cou­ric never throws around remarks! Sawyer should just stop the interviews!

[jalowe1957]

Just as Charles Gibson was a pale imitation of Peter Jennings, Diane Sawyer is a poor substitute for Katie Couric...or even Barbara Walters for that matter.

[t iessa]

Goodbye, Charlie. He was so weak he won't be hard to replace.

[Wrenigade]

Well, I guess the only network anchor left worth watching is Brian Williams.
Prediction: ABC's ratings will plummet further than CBS's after Katy Couric took over.

[Dustee]

If she just report th facts/truth - - - she win over her audience.

[writerroz]

Your SEXIST attitude is sticking our. About time women can gently nodge the networks to be less violent and more thoughtful in reporting touchy issues. Hopefully, less blood and gore. The males have pushed the muck & violence WAY TOO FAR.

[NoSillyName]

What are you talking about? The news is the news. It is usually violent and nasty. Maybe DS could be given an alternative show about the Good News, just not in place of the serious evening world news.

[writerroz]

I meant to say your sexism is way evident.

[BlueBoomer]

I'll be sorry to see Charlie go...I enjoy Diane in the AM and enjoy her sense of humor, which will have to be absent doing the PM news, so I guess I wish them well, but I'd rather they'd stay where they are.