Report: Barbara Walters To Retire In 2014

[Joseph_Gallant]

Longtime TV news personality and interviewer Barbara Walters, whose network career has spanned over fifty years, has announced that she will retire in May, 2014.

Broadcasting and Cable news story:

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/492584-Reports_Barbara_Walters_to_Retire_Next_Year.php .

 

[Braves2005]

This would be the perfect opportunity for ABC to groom Katie Couric into Barbara Walters' role on The View because Couric is the most likely person to be chosen since she's the most experienced in entertainment/fluff news than she is anything else.

I would like to see Ann Curry get the job too.

 

[ding12]

I don't see Katie going to The View, since she has her own daytime show. However, I could see Katie practically replacing Walters for all the evening fare, the ABC prime-time specials.

 

[FredLeonard]

Baba Wawa isn't on the show all that much, so they may not see a need to replace her. And her production company owns the show, so it's not up to ABC unilaterally to make decision on hosts.

Meredith could come back.

OK, we've mentioned Baba, Meredith, Ann and Katie. Not many former Today girls left.

Jane Pauley?

Deborah Norville?

Florence Henderson?

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

My guess is that once Barbara Walters retires, "The View" will also be "retired".

My guess is that should "The View" leave the air in May of 2014, ABC will give back the show's timeslot to local stations and in turn, take back the 9-10 A.M. hour so "Good Morning America" can expand to three hours.

Given "GMA"'s recent ratings success, it may be time to expand the show.

And a third hour of "GMA" will cost much less to produce than "The View".

 

[LKellerIII]

My guess is that once Barbara Walters retires, "The View" will also be "retired".

My guess is that should "The View" leave the air in May of 2014, ABC will give back the show's timeslot to local stations and in turn, take back the 9-10 A.M. hour so "Good Morning America" can expand to three hours.

Given "GMA"'s recent ratings success, it may be time to expand the show.

And a third hour of "GMA" will cost much less to produce than "The View".

Why should The View be "retired?" Isn't it still a popular show? Walters doesn't appear on the show all that often, and she can turn whatever production function she has over to underlings and still reap profits from the show in her retirement.

 

[dave73]

My guess is that once Barbara Walters retires, "The View" will also be "retired".

My guess is that should "The View" leave the air in May of 2014, ABC will give back the show's timeslot to local stations and in turn, take back the 9-10 A.M. hour so "Good Morning America" can expand to three hours.

Given "GMA"'s recent ratings success, it may be time to expand the show.

And a third hour of "GMA" will cost much less to produce than "The View".

If GMA gets expanded to the 9-10am timeslots, are they gonna move Live with Kelly & Michael up to the 10 - 11am timeslot on their O&O stations? Currently, with the exception of WLS-TV (who doesn't carry the show right now, but I heard will in fall 2014), they have Live with Kelly & Michael on their other 7 O&O stations in the 9-10am timeslot. For WLS-TV, they do ok (not great as they're only getting ½ the rating of what Oprah got in the same slot) with local talk show Windy City Live in the 9-10am timeslot.

 

[brian4]

Walters had a great career. Broke down a lot of barriers for women journalists.

There's no reason to retire The View.

Doubt that Katie (and ABC) would end "Katie" just for her to go to The View. If Katie's ratings nose-dive, the brass would consider it.

 

[michael hagerty]

In an attempt to be helpful, Jay Leno has sent a tape and resume' of Jimmy Fallon over to The View.

 

[FredLeonard]

The main reason to retire The View is so ABC doesn't have to keep paying money for it to Baba Wawa. All they have to do is come up with another kaffeklatsch all-girl panel show (like Sara Gilbert did for CBS).

 

[JeeperOne]

My guess is that once Barbara Walters retires, "The View" will also be "retired".

My guess is that should "The View" leave the air in May of 2014, ABC will give back the show's timeslot to local stations and in turn, take back the 9-10 A.M. hour so "Good Morning America" can expand to three hours.

Considering how Umm..... "Successful" #cough* *cough* Today has been on NBC beyond 9:00 AM, I doubt ABC will subject GMA to that kind of torture. In fact, I doubt The View] will be going anywhere either. Deborah Norville & Jane Pauley have already been listed as possible replacements. I would add Meredith Viera & Joan Lunden to that list as well

And a third hour of "GMA" will cost much less to produce than "The View".

No it wouldn't. It'd cost about the same either way

Cheers & 73 ;D