ABC: Charles Gibson Named Sole Anchor of 'World News Tonight'

[DeepModem Mom]

Charles Gibson Named Sole Anchor of 'World News Tonight'
Elizabeth Vargas to Step Down to Take Maternity Leave and Return to Co-Anchor '20/20' and Anchor ABC News Specials in the Fall

May 23, 2006 — ABC News has named Charles Gibson to be sole anchor of "World News Tonight."

"Charlie Gibson is one of the most distinguished journalists on television. He is a superb broadcaster, the consummate professional, and a very familiar presence to the audience and everyone at 'World News Tonight,'" said ABC News President David Westin, who announced the decision today.

Gibson's new assignment will take effect on May 29. He will continue as a co-anchor of "Good Morning America" until June 30....

***

The announcement comes after a week of strong ratings for "World News Tonight." The broadcast averaged 7.71 million viewers, outperforming CBS' "Evening News" by 510,000 total viewers and 470,000 adults in the key 25 to 54 demographic last week.

Following the death of "World News Tonight" anchor Peter Jennings in August 2005, Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff were named co-anchors of the broadcast in December 2005....

http://www.abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=1993658&page=1

[librechik]

1. I'm no big Gibson fan, but did the world just turn right side up

for at least a moment?

The earlier team approach seemed such a poor fit. It's almost like the grownups are back in charge.

Next up, Gore wins in 08. Just sayin.

[AlCzervik]

3. ok by me, Gibson seems to be somehwere in the middle unless

i missed some big moment of rw hackery on his part. I also think Scheiffer has done a good job a cbs, at first i thought he'd be a shill for Bush but he proved me wrong.

[sidpleasant]

5. Katie Kuric will bring non stop Bush shilling to the CBS Evening News

Her partisan allegiance to the GOP is on pretty much constant display on the "Today" show these days. To cite just one example, she strenuously argued with Howard Dean that Jack Abramoff had given money to both Dems and Repubs, a long - debunked lie that even most right wingers have abandoned. "Today's" loathsome combination of George HW Bush's golfing buddy Matt Lauer and Katie Curic have made that show utterly repulsive and unwatchable for me.

[tabasco]

17. She will do whatever she is paid to do.

Say whatever she is paid to say.

These cretins have no moral compass or principles.

[depakid]

20. That's exactly right

She and others have earned their reputation as media whores, and I for one wouldn't sit on the same train or in the same restaurant with her.

[underpants]

2. ABC News would collapse in a ball without Gibson

Not that I am a huge fan or anything but the guy apparently never sleeps

[Scout1071]

4. I guess that Bob Woodruff's injuries are so severe he won't be

coming back to the news. How terribly sad.

[LizW]

22. I saw a photo of him a couple of weeks ago.

He was standing outside with his wife. He looked good, but definitely not in any shape to go back to work right away.

[Scout1071]

25. Yea....that was only a photo.

Don't get me wrong, I really like the guy. I want him back on the air and I feel sick about his injuries. I just think they are much, much more severe than has been let on. I mean, he's a news anchorman.....you would think they would want him back on TV, for an interview at a minimum. By only showing one photo of him 6 months after the accident, I believe his injuries are so much more sever than they have indicated. It really bothers me that he is just kind of "out of sight, out of mind" at ABC. I rarely hear them even mention him. And this week they outright replaced him and Elizabeth Vargas and barely even mentioned him.

[tanyev]

6. NOOOOOOoooooo!!!!

I can't stand aw-shucks Charlie. And ABC and CBS are the only two stations I get. I tape the CBS evening news right now, but I was preparing myself to make the switch to ABC once Katie came on board. Oh, gag. At least this will finally get him out of Good Morning America. I usually have to mute all their "amusing" chit-chat while waiting for the five minutes of the morning's top headlines.

[DrZeeLit]

7. He's "older" and "seasoned" and "safe" -- the new Walter Cronkite.

They made exactly the right move for the mood.
Not saying it is the right move. (I don't even have a t.v. hooked up)
Just safe and sensible.
Cuz we are starting a new round of "who do you trust" and all the bets are off the table.

[chookie]

8. yuck n/t

[Javaman]

9. Max Headroom...nt

[cally]

10. Why are they taking it away from Elizabeth Vargas

if the ratings have gone up? That makes no sense. :shrug:

[DeepModem Mom]

12. From the article --

Vargas said today she had chosen to step down to take maternity leave and later return to co-anchor "20/20" and ABC News specials.

"Going forward Elizabeth Vargas has asked that we limit her responsibilities to anchoring '20/20' and special primetime hours," Westin said. "From the moment Peter became ill, no person in this organization has stepped up more than Elizabeth. I have nothing but respect, gratitude and admiration for the work she has done on our behalf oftentimes under enormously stressful conditions. Elizabeth is absolutely vital to the success and future of ABC News."

Vargas said she had made the decision after consulting with her doctors.

[kskiska]

19. If Vargas really "chose" to step down

and intended to have children all along, why did she accept the job in the first place? Or was she perceived by ABC to be just a token female, and therefore dispensable once they found a new guy who didn't want an co-anchor?

[Scout1071]

26. Women are torn with these decisions everyday.

Especially women in their mid-late 30's and early 40's. You finally find some amount of career success at that age. In Elizabeth's case, being offered co-anchor of the nightly news. The pinnacle of a TV newspersons career. Maybe she thought she could co-anchor and still have kids. Then, your TV partner suffers career ending injuries in Iraq and you do the broadcast by yourself for months on end. And it's just not working out because you want to have kids too. So, you step aside.

[erpowers]

29. Did Not Choose To Step Down

I do not think she choose to step down. I think ABC asked her to step down and use the baby as the excuse.

[MGKrebs]

13. usatoday says they are in last place.

"ABC News President David Westin's announcement came less than a week after World News Tonight fell to last place in the evening news ratings for the first time since 2001, behind NBC and the resurgent CBS. "

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-05-23-gibson-wnt_x.htm

:shrug:

[Tesha]

27. ABC news ratings are radically down since Jennings left.

They've lost something like 10% of their audience (1 million
viewers each night) since they replaced real news with
claptrap.

Tesha

[gauguin57]

11. Well, I guess I won't be watching nightly news on networks anymore.

I left a lifetime of watching NBC Nightly News because of smug-ass Brian Williams. I switched to Dan Rather. He left, and Bob "I love the Bushes" Shieffer took over. I left CBS, and switched to ABC. I liked Vargas and Woodruff well enough. I was pleased that they chose a woman who hadn't spent years giggling and being silly on morning TV. And now they're taking it away from her? That SUCKS! Where to turn, where to turn?

And you couldn't pay me to watch Katie when she takes over at CBS... I saw her tryouts on weekend anchor at NBC years ago ... she was TERRIBLE! Could barely read the TelePrompTer.

Screw you, networks. I guess it's PBS for me from now on.

[UTUSN]

14. Here's passed-over Charlie plotting his rivals' outsters

[Demeter]

15. Wasn't He Riding a Trike On Laugh-In in the 60's?

in his ulster overcoat

[Toucano]

16. I can't believe all the Gibson lovers here!

He's a completely classless twat with the intellect and charisma of an infected fingernail!

"Distinguished jounalish" my ass. He's a total tool.

"Good Morning America" is NOT a news program.

[Skarbrowe]

18. I know it has nothing to do with Charles Gibson, but I like Lester Holt.

Lester Holt has one of the best "news-person" voices I've ever heard. I know nothing about his personal or professional life, all I know is that I wish he could have become an anchor somewhere.

And no, I won't be watching Gibson. I was one of those people who HAD to watch the network evening news. I have no idea why. Since Brian Williams took over for Tom Brokaw, I've slowly weened myself off the 6:30 Eastern time nightly news. Don't want to watch Katie Cute-ick, don't care either way for Gibson and Brian Williams has bugged me for years.

I like Lester Holt. Or how 'bout bringing back the "banished" Ashleigh Banfield? Talk about an intelligent, serious female journalist. Could you imagine Christiane Amanpour? I'd be glued to the TV every night for her.

Guess it's a good thing. At least I'm cured of my network nightly news habit.

[VegasWolf]

21. I always thought Gibson was a joke. Mr. Timid himself. I guess he

is appropriate for the most timid news network on television.

[martymar64]

23. He's a tool of the first degree

Smarmy little prick.

[dysfunctional press]

28. my sentiments too...

i used to be a worldnewstonight viewer...no longer.

[MilesColtrane]

24. I liked Vargas...

I won't be watching Gibson.

[Submariner]

30. Gibson is just another Punk from my generation

that slithered out of the Vietnam draft and then in the summer of 2004 joined in the "swift boating" of Kerry by trying to hammer Kerry about throwing his medals over the fence at the White House. Gibson said he was there watching it happen. Too bad shithead Gibson would not serve his country in the military then he might have an accurate perspective of what went on.

And please.....whoever did it, don't put names of Walter Cronkite and cockroach turd Gibson in the same sentence. That's offensive to Walter.