Is Charlie Gibson Rejecting Idea Of Diane Sawyer As His Replacement?

Huffington Post----

(Gibson steps downs from his post as Top Anchor for ABC's "World News", Diane Sawyer to become his replacement. Brian Williams reports.)

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Report: Charlie Gibson "Livid" Over Choice Of Diane Sawyer As His Replacement

The Daily Beast's Rebecca Dana reports that Charlie Gibson is "livid" over the choice of Diane Sawyer as his replacement on ABC's "World News."

Dana quotes a source close to Gibson and supports the claim with the evidence that Gibson neither mentioned Sawyer in his statement nor referenced his retirement — and her succession — on his broadcast Wednesday night:

Dana writes:

Although they worked closely for more than a decade, Gibson makes no direct reference to Sawyer in the statement, and a source close to the departing anchor described him as "livid" that she's succeeding him. An ABC executive called this "nonsense," and Westin said he told Gibson from their earliest conversations about his retirement that Sawyer would be his replacement.

Both Brian Williams on NBC and Maggie Rodriguez (filling in for Katie Couric) on CBS reported the ABC anchor shift. Williams took a personal tone, calling both Gibson and Sawyer "friends" of his and joking, "As a service to our viewers, we will let you know how their transition goes just to save you from the effort of having to watch yourself. My very best to both Charlie and Diane." Rodriguez simply added, "Congratulations to them both" (watch below).

Several reports indicate that Gibson told ABC News President David Westin of his intention to retire (not for the first time) last week, and that Westin immediately knew he would tap Sawyer to replace him. He reportedly considered no other candidates, asked Sawyer to replace Gibson last Thursday, and she agreed Tuesday night.

However, Westin told the New York Times, "This was not a result I wanted," meaning that he did not want Gibson to retire.

Sawyer, for her part, was reportedly (again) concerned first about Gibson before she would accept the job. The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz reports that Sawyer's first question when Westin offered her the job was, "Can't we talk Charlie into staying?"

Sawyer had expressed interest in the anchor job when it became available in 2006, but did not want to pursue it if it meant taking it away from Gibson.

Kurtz adds that when Gibson first approached Westin to discuss retirement earlier this summer, he told him Sawyer would likely be his replacement.

"I certainly expressed to him my view it was quite likely that Diane would be the successor," Westin told Kurtz.


Sources: Huffington Post, MSNBC, Politico, The Daily Beast

Diane Sawyer To Replace Charlie Gibson As "World News" Top Anchor

MSNBC, Politico, Huffington Post----

(Charlie Gibson interviews then Vice-Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin. Remember her crazy answer to Charlie's question about the Bush Doctrine? Man that was funny! She made Senator McCain the laughing stock of the G.O.P.)



Gibson to step down as anchor of "World News"

("Good Morning America" host Diane Sawyer to replace him in January)

Charles Gibson is retiring as at the end of the year and Diane Sawyer will replace him in January as anchor of ABC’s “World News,” the network said.

Gibson, 66, said he had been planning to retire at the end of 2007 but events compelled him to stay. He was named anchor following the death of Peter Jennings and the wartime injury of Bob Woodruff in 2006. He’s been at ABC News for 35 years and says he plans to continue as an occasional contributor.

Sawyer’s elevation means that, with Katie Couric at CBS, two of the three leading anchors for the broadcast networks will be women.

His comforting presence made him an instant ratings hit at “World News” at a time the other networks had much younger anchors. But NBC’s Brian Williams eventually passed him by and has been leading in the ratings for the past year, with “World News” a solid second. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture between NBC and Microsoft.)

“The program is now operating at a very accelerated, but steady, cruising speed and I think it is an opportune time for a transition — both for the broadcast and for me,” Gibson said in an e-mail to fellow ABC News staffers. “Life is dynamic; it is not static.”

Sawyer will leave a hole at ABC’s “Good Morning America,” where she was co-host with Robin Roberts. ABC said it had no immediate announcement on what will happen on that show, which is also second in the ratings to NBC.

Gibson’s biggest impact at ABC is when he stepped into the breach during times of need. He had left “Good Morning America,” but the program was imploding in the ratings when ABC News President David Westin asked him and Sawyer to step in as anchors. What was originally envisioned as a stopgap of a few months turned into nearly a decade.

After Peter Jennings’ death from cancer in 2005, Westin replaced him with an anchor team of Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas. But after Woodruff was seriously hurt in a wartime injury and Vargas became pregnant, Gibson was asked to take over.

“We owe him much for the leadership he gave us when we needed it most,” Westin said.

Sources: MSNBC, Politico, Huffington Post, Youtube