ABC News President Kim Godwin announced her resignation Sunday in a letter to staff. “I have decided to retire from broadcast journalism,” Godwin wrote in an email first obtained by the Wall Street Journal.
Earlier this year, ABC’s parent company — Walt Disney Co. — presaged Godwin’s exit by installing executive Debra O’Connor to oversee the news division.
In other words, viewers saw it coming… and so did former President Donald Trump.
“Happy to report that Kim Godwin, Head of ABC, has resigned,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“Could it be the unfair reporting on EVERYTHING TRUMP? In any event, GOOD RIDDANCE! Hopefully somebody else will be able to control George Slopadopolous and the rest of the Fake News Thugs over at ABC? Best wishes Kim!”
Take a look —
Godwin inherited a news division on top. At the time of her hiring, World News Tonight and Good Morning America led rivals at CBS and NBC in the ratings.
Three years later, each program is still the No. 1 newscast in its respective timeslot, but Good Morning America has seen a ratings decline amid the messy departures of anchors T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach, and Cecilia Vega’s jump to CBS News. Plus, ABC’s Sunday program This Week usually ranks behind rival programs like Face the Nation on CBS and Meet the Press on NBC.
On one hand, Trump has stressed the decline of Good Morning America. On the other hand, Godwin has congratulated herself by presiding over the most watched programs for morning and evening news.
“ABC News was No. 1 when I joined the team and I’m proud to say we’re still No. 1,” Godwin said.
Godwin, 60, has worked at ABC, CBS, NBC, and 10 local news stations across nine cities. She joined ABC as an outsider from CBS News… and she quickly caused some internal grumbling about her management style.
Some staffers told the Journal, the first outlet to report Godwin’s exit, that Godwin seemed more interested in boosting her profile than managing the day-to-day operations of a newsroom.
Her defenders, including star reporter Jonathan Karl, have disputed this critique. Karl called her a “crazy workaholic” behind the scenes.
Godwin presided over a mass exodus of talent, and she left without a clear successor. However, O’Connell has promised to lead the network lead the network “for the time being.”
“I leave with my head held high and wish the entire team continued success,” Godwin wrote.
“Anyone who’s passionate about what we do knows there’s no other business like it, so this was not an easy or quick decision. But after considerable reflection, I’m certain it’s the right one for me as I look to the future and prioritize what’s most important for me and my family.”