Kim Godwin, the first Black woman to lead a broadcast TV news division, is leaving ABC News following a rough three-year tenure.
Godwin joined ABC in May 2021 after working as an executive vice president at CBS News, where she supervised the company's diversity efforts.
ABC News President Kim Godwin Resigned
Godwin's resignation was revealed by Debra OConnell, president of News Group and Networks, in a message on Sunday. According to CNN, O'Connell stated that she will supervise the news section "for the time being."
Godwin signed a new contract with ABC in February, and the corporation reassigned her division to OConnell, a senior Disney executive.
The decision distanced Godwin from Disney's top leadership, which is never a good omen for an executive's future at the Burbank-based entertainment business. She had been reporting to Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment.
Godwin was appointed 10 months after Barbara Fedida, the long-time top executive in charge of corporate affairs, was dismissed.
An internal inquiry determined that Fedida made "racially insensitive comments" against the network's Black performers.
Godwin's predecessor, ABC News president James Goldston, who was not involved in the probe, stepped down six months after Fedida's departure.
Godwin was brought in to help enhance the division's culture. However, she faced whispered criticism of her managerial style from unknown sources, which irritated the network's hard-nosed veterans.
She allegedly hosted "Happy Birthday" singalongs at morning meetings and stressed life-work balance, which was unfamiliar to many long-time employees in a division known for its competitive environment.
Godwin was also characterized as disengaged from the division's day-to-day activities. As part of a series of Disney employment layoffs last year, Godwin made significant cuts to the division. Some employees were dissatisfied with the treatment of the veteran leaders who were forced out.
'Good Morning America' Falls Behind Ratings
Godwin, on the other hand, may have withstood any problems with her managerial style if ABC News' programming had remained competitive throughout the previous year.
'Good Morning America,' the most popular morning show and the source of the majority of the news division's revenue, has been losing momentum, Fox News reported.
According to projections, 'Good Morning America' is likewise losing viewers and may soon slip behind 'CBS Mornings' and NBC's 'Today.'
After new anchors TJ Holmes and Amy Robach made headlines for their relationship, Godwin initially claimed that they would not be reprimanded, and she permitted them to go on television the day after the story broke.
After a weekend of thought, Godwin then reversed her decision and removed Holmes and Robach from the air, stating the "distraction" had become too significant. According to ABC News insiders, Disney stepped in, and Godwin needed to choose to bench Holmes and Robach. In late January 2023, Holmes and Robach decided to leave ABC News.
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