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The Walt Disney Company introduced on Wednesday {that a} longtime government on the firm, Debra OConnell, would turn into the president of a newly created division that can embrace ABC News and the corporate’s native stations.
The transfer, in impact, places Ms. OConnell accountable for ABC News’s signature properties, together with “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight.” Kim Godwin, the ABC News president since 2021, will stay in her function — executives mentioned on Wednesday that she had signed a brand new contract — however with an necessary caveat: She will now report back to Ms. OConnell.
“Debra is a wonderful government who has succeeded in a variety of management roles round our firm and is aware of very nicely the extraordinary energy of ABC News and its world-class journalists,” Dana Walden, a co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, mentioned in a press release on Wednesday.
The reorganization mirrors what has taken place at different community information divisions. Several executives at NBC News report back to Cesar Conde, the chairman of the so-called NBCUniversal information group, a division that features native information and cable networks like MSNBC, CNBC and Telemundo. Wendy McMahon, the chief government of CBS News, Stations and media ventures, oversees the information division in addition to native stations.
In appointing Ms. OConnell to the brand new place, Disney has added an government layer between Ms. Walden and Ms. Godwin, who has had a little bit of a rocky tenure since taking on as head of ABC News in 2021.
Last yr, ABC News parted methods with the “GMA3” anchors T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach, concluding a weekslong tabloid spectacle after it had been revealed that the anchors have been romantically concerned. Ms. Godwin initially stored the 2 on the air — solely to reverse course a number of days later. Mr. Holmes and Ms. Robach left the community a few months later.
“Good Morning America” stays the most-watched morning information present however has seen scores decline amongst adults youthful than 54 — the important thing metric for advertisers — by 21 p.c since September, steeper than both “Today” or “CBS Mornings,” in accordance with Nielsen. The third-place CBS morning present has additionally had a handful of scores wins over “G.M.A.” since September, an uncommon improvement.
In a notice to staff, Ms. Godwin mentioned the brand new government construction would “enable us to higher amplify the unimaginable work all of us produce every day.”
“Debra and I’ve collaborated over the past couple of years, and she or he is a devoted chief who at all times champions one of the best in journalism,” Ms. Godwin wrote.
In a separate memo to staff, Ms. OConnell praised ABC News’s “world-class reporting.”
“I’d prefer to take this chance to share how excited I’m to be bringing ABC News, the ABC-owned stations and our networks groups collectively as one group,” she wrote.
