Abc To Drop Its Struggling ‘Gma/Sunday’ In March

Thu., Jan. 28, 1999

The Hollywood Reporter

ABC has canceled “Good Morning America/Sunday” and will return the weekly hour to its affiliates in March, the network announced Monday.

“GMA/Sunday” never caught on with viewers since launching in January 1993. It lagged well behind NBC’s “Weekend Today” and “CBS News Sunday Morning” in the ratings.

The program changed anchors frequently and was not profitable for the news division.

ABC News correspondent Aaron Brown is the current anchor.

In an internal memo, ABC News President David Westin said the cancellation owes to the network’s “budget realities.” Despite a round of cost-cutting last year, insiders said the news division is under pressure to make more cuts and improve financial performance.

“GMA/Sunday” originally was earmarked for cancellation last spring. The program managed to hang on but was doomed once Westin decided that its resources would be put to better use reviving the weekday edition of “Good Morning America.”

“GMA/Sunday” staffers will be absorbed into other news division programs.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.