Charles Gibson Named New ABC Anchor

Randy Orton

WC's Resident Alchoholic

Charles Gibson Named New ABC Anchor
By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer
1 hour ago


Charles Gibson arrives for the Good Morning America's 30th ...
NEW YORK - ABC appointed Charles Gibson as the new anchor of its struggling "World News Tonight" broadcast on Tuesday, replacing Elizabeth Vargas.

Vargas, who is pregnant and goes on leave later this summer, will return in the fall to co-anchor the "20/20" newsmagazine, ABC said.

ABC's announcement did not specify a role for Bob Woodruff, Vargas' co-anchor on the evening news until he was seriously wounded in a roadside bombing in Iraq on Jan. 29. Woodruff is still recovering from serious head injuries and broken bones.

In a news release, Woodruff called Gibson a mentor and friend, and said: "I look forward to contributing to his broadcast as soon as I am able."

Gibson starts on Monday. He will continue on "Good Morning America" for June, and then leave that broadcast to concentrate solely on the evening news.

ABC did not immediately name a replacement for Gibson on "Good Morning America."

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. CBS has hired NBC's Katie Couric to become its evening news anchor.

Westin had appointed Vargas and Woodruff in November to replace the late Peter Jennings in ABC News' lead anchor role. He had approached Gibson then about doing the job for a short period of time before the younger anchors took over, but Gibson balked at the deadline.

Westin had said he envisioned the job being too much for one person, since he wanted the anchors to travel frequently to news sites and do separate versions of "World News Tonight" online and for West Coast audiences.

But the Vargas-Woodruff team was in place for only a month before Woodruff was injured.

Vargas said her doctors had asked her to cut back her schedule.

"I have loved every day I spent at `World News Tonight' and have endless respect for my colleagues there," she said. "This broadcast needs someone who can give 150 percent, day in and day out. I am not in a position to give that right now and it wouldn't be fair to do any less."