Diane Sawyer To Step Down From ABC's 'World News,' David Muir To Take Over

 

After five years in the World News anchor chair, Diane Sawyer will step down in the September, clearing the way for David Muir, who anchors the program's weekend edition, to assume her role.

Sawyer, 68, an ABC News star who previously anchored Good Morning America and newsmagazine Primetime and who has conducted some of the news division's most-watched interviews, will head her own unit and continue to produce and anchor specials.

Additionally, George Stephanopoulos, once thought to be in line to take over World News, becomes chief anchor at ABC News. He'll continue to co-anchor GMA and also become the primary anchor for breaking news reports as well as election coverage. Stephanopoulos quietly extended his contract with ABC News last April, months ahead of when his previous deal was set to expire. That deal keeps Stephanopoulos at ABC well beyond the 2016 election. He'll also continue to anchor Sunday public affairs program This Week.

Sawyer and Ben Sherwood and James Goldston began talking about the World News anchor change several months ago, say ABC News sources. (Sherwood is set to take over for chief Disney-ABC executive Anne Sweeney in February.) And it looks as if she'll go out on a high note. The show has lately bested perennial leader Nightly News with Brian Williams among viewers 25-54, the demographic upon which most TV news is sold to advertisers. World News won the May sweeps ratings period in the demo for the first time in more than six years, and has picked off a handful of weeks subsequently.