Is Charlie Gibson livid about Diane Sawyer succeeding him?
It was big news this week about Charlie Gibson retiring. Later on, when the headline flashed that Charlie was "livid" that Diane Sawyer was chosen to succeed him at the ABC World News anchor desk, I have to admit I was stunned. Why on earth would Charlie Gibson be so vexed by his former Good Morning America partner taking on the job he had chosen to give up? The Daily Beast story claimed that his reaction came from a unnamed source, and that's what Variety's BLTV was writing about today. He suggested that perhaps the reporter, Rebecca Dana, had relied too much on scuttlebutt and chose to believe that Gibson was ticked off and, thus, went with the story.
But what if it's true that Gibson was livid. If so, why? Looking at the roster of ABC news pros, who is more qualified and deserving of the anchor role than Diane Sawyer? Every name on the short list comes with some reservations, like Bob Woodruff, who may not be up for the rigors of a daily news report. Or George Stephanopoulos, who has a full-time job with This Week. Dan Harris and Jake Tapper don't have the experience. Would Elizabeth Vargas or Robin Roberts be your choice over Sawyer?
I'm not a huge Sawyer fan, but she's more than earned her stripes. She's a consummate pro and a recognizable face. Any viewer tuning in for the evening news will feel confident seeing Diane Sawyer sitting there and telling it the way it is.
So whether or not Charlie Gibson is happy or unhappy, livid or okay with it, ABC made the right choice.

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