By David Bauder, Media Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --ABC News President James Goldston said Thursday that he will leave the network at the end of March, after seven years of leading the news division.
The low-profile Goldston leaves at a time ABC's flagship newscasts, "World News Tonight" and "Good Morning America," are both leading its rivals in the ratings.
"I've always assumed that after this extraordinary election cycle, which we've covered at a full sprint for four years, it would be time for a change," Goldston said in a note to staff members. "After a great deal of reflection over the last few months, I'm ready for a new adventure."
His departure adds to the list of top jobs that need to be filled at major news organizations, including The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times.
During his tenure, the network purchased the FiveThirtyEight blog, took over "The View" from ABC's entertainment division and launched a more aggressive online offering, ABC News Live.
Goldston's decision to install David Muir as "World News Tonight" anchor paid dividends as the show now dominates the evening news ratings, often reaching 10 million viewers a night.
One low point came last year when a Goldston deputy in charge of talent relations was forced out after an investigation revealed she had made racially insensitive comments.
Peter Rice, chairman of general entertainment content for ABC parent Walt Disney Co., praised Goldston for his work, particularly during the pandemic and 2020's political upheaval.
"As a leader he is a calming force in the chaos of perpetual news, remaining both thoughtful and strategic while also maintaining his much appreciated wit," Rice said in a memo to staff.
Rice said he's appointing five ABC News executives to run the division as a search commences for a new leader: Derek Medina, Michael Corn, Almin Karamehmedovic, Wendy Fisher and Marie Nelson.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More