Lunden Leaving Gma To Develop News Specials
The widely anticipated changes are beginning on ABC News’ “Good Morning America” with Tuesday’s announcement by 20-year GMA veteran Joan Lunden that she will step aside in early September to develop prime-time news specials for the network.
Lunden, who began on the morning show as a consumer reporter and has co-anchored for the past 17 years, notified the GMA staff of her decision Tuesday afternoon and also announced it at the top of Wednesday morning’s broadcast.
Network sources suggested that despite considerable media speculation in recent weeks, no further announcements of changes on the morning show will be forthcoming before - or perhaps even right after - next week’s meeting in L.A. with ABC’s antsy affiliates.
“We don’t have a secret plan” for carefully timed leaks of changes on the faltering series, ABC News president David Westin said.
ABC News took over responsibility in April 1995 for GMA from the Entertainment division, where it had begun 20 years before and when it was still at the top of the morning network race. But six months later, “Today” reclaimed first place and has held on tight for the past 18 months - in recent weeks even regularly setting all-time-record-winning margins over its glum second-place foe.
Even if no decisions have been finalized on some of the other changes, the speculation certainly continues about the principals.
Co-anchor Charlie Gibson has been mentioned for “20/20,” as a replacement for Hugh Downs on Friday or as a co-anchor for the upcoming Thursday night version. Among those being considered for Lunden’s replacement are “PrimeTime Live” correspondent Cynthia McFadden; Elizabeth Vargas, the GMA news-reader who’s been Lunden’s number one substitute; Willow Bay of the Sunday version of GMA; and Deborah Roberts, a “20/20” correspondent (and wife of “Today’s” Al Roker) who’s also subbed for both Vargas and Lunden.
In a statement that perhaps unwittingly expressed the constant pressure of odd, and very early working hours, Lunden said that “after 20 years of waking up America with a smile, and having been given incredible opportunities on “Good Morning America,’ I have asked the executives of ABC to give me a chance to do something I’ve never done - wake up my own chldren with a smile, while they’re still children.”
Lunden said plans call for her to expand her series of specials, “Behind Closed Doors,” and “becoming a part of other network plans.” She said the network was aware during her most recent negotiations of her wish to make the change.
“I have a lot of exciting plans upcoming in both my personal life and my professional life,” Lunden said. “And I must say that waking up and going to bed with the rest of America will allow me to pursue those plans.”