NEW YORK – ABC Information president James Goldston stated Thursday he’ll depart the community on the finish of March, after seven years on the helm of the information division.
Low-key Goldston comes out at a time when ABC’s flagship newscasts “World Information Tonight” and “Good Morning America” are main their rivals in rankings.
“I’ve at all times assumed that after this extraordinary cycle of elections, which we have now coated at full velocity for 4 years, it could be time for a change,” Goldston stated in a notice to employees members. “After a lot thought over the previous few months, I’m prepared for a brand new journey.”
His departure provides to the listing of high jobs to be coated in main information organizations, together with The Washington Put up and the Los Angeles Occasions.
Throughout his tenure, the community purchased the FiveThirtyEight weblog, took over “The View” from ABC’s leisure division, and launched a extra aggressive on-line providing, ABC Information Stay.
Goldston’s determination to put in David Muir because the host of “World Information Tonight” paid off, because the present now dominates viewership rankings for night information, usually reaching 10 million viewers per evening.
A low level got here final 12 months when a Goldston deputy in command of expertise relations was compelled to withdraw after an investigation revealed she had made racially insensitive feedback.
Peter Rice, president of normal leisure content material for ABC’s mother or father firm Walt Disney Co., praised Goldston for his work, significantly throughout the 2020 pandemic and political upheaval.
“As a pacesetter, he’s a reassuring power within the perpetual information chaos, remaining considerate and strategic whereas sustaining his much-appreciated wit,” Rice stated in a memo to employees.
Rice stated he’s appointing 5 ABC Information executives to guide the division because the seek for a brand new chief begins: Derek Medina, Michael Corn, Almin Karamehmedovic, Wendy Fisher and Marie Nelson.
David Bauder, The Related Press
