Embattled ABC News president Kim Godwin will be effectively demoted and report to a “micromanager boss” after parent company Disney announced a major restructuring of the network’s management team on Wednesday, insiders say. told the Post.
The Mouse House has tapped veteran executive Debra O’Connell to lead a new division that will oversee ABC News, which includes top-rated shows “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight with David Muir.” announced that he would be promoted.
Mr. Godwin will now report directly to Mr. O’Connell, who has worked at Disney for 27 years and has been responsible for the company’s entertainment networks, including ABC’s television stations, FX Networks and National Geographic.
A person who worked closely with Mr O’Connell said the reorganization had made Mr Godwin “irrelevant” as news president.
“Debra is a micromanager. She will control everything,” the source said. “Mr. Kim is stratified and marginalized.”
The reorganization was announced shortly after Godwin renewed his contract to remain president of ABC News.
Another media source said Godwin was likely told his contract would only be renewed if he accepted a new role.
The Post has reached out to ABC News for comment.
“Debra and I have worked together for several years now, and she has always been a dedicated leader who champions the best in journalism,” Godwin wrote in a memo to staff.
Godwin previously reported to Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden, who is often cited as a possible successor to Disney CEO Bob Iger when he steps down next year. .
“Debra is an accomplished executive who has achieved success in a wide range of leadership roles at our company and is well aware of the extraordinary strength of ABC News and its world-class journalists,” Walden said in a statement.
“This new role will see her overseeing all of our linear businesses, allowing her to optimize our iconic brands and lead them into the future. As we build on our success We look forward to having her lead these incredibly talented teams.”
“I am honored to champion the best network, best news organization, and best broadcast station in the world, and I thank Dana for her leadership and trust,” O’Connell said.
The move comes as Mr. Iger fends off a proxy fight led by activist investor Nelson Peltz.
“I think this is in response to the need for cost reduction and streamlining,” the media source added. “I also think Kim’s shortcomings contributed to this.”
Mr. Godwin was a lightning rod for ABC News, which lost some ground to rivals NBC News and CBS News in its top-ranked programming.
A source told the Post that the network’s upper echelons have taken note, and noted that Ms. Godwin’s many gaffes during her two-and-a-half year tenure did nothing to help her cause.
When news of the sordid affair between “GMA3” hosts TJ Holmes and Amy Robach broke, Godwin initially drew widespread criticism from many within the network.
Details of the incident were leaked in November 2022, but Godwin allowed the “GMA3” pair to continue broadcasting, sparking a spectacle that led to further news stories.
As more puzzling information emerged, Mr. Godwin benched them and defended them on a Dec. 5 internal conference call, saying they had “not violated company policy.”
ABC launched an internal investigation soon after, after more interesting stories about Holmes’ other affairs at ABC were leaked to tabloids. After a long hiatus, ABC settled with the two men by leaving the company.
Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
“Defending TJ and Amy early on probably cost the company $1 million,” a media executive estimated at the time.
Other missteps include the awkward handling of Whoopi Goldberg’s suspension after making anti-Semitic comments on “The View.”
Some staffers are also unhappy with Mr. Godwin’s self-promotional style, which glosses over the important mission of the news department. They noted that at the opening reception for the 2022 National Association of Black Journalists convention, Godwin was led on stage by actors dressed as Wakandan warriors from Marvel’s Black Panther.
Quoted by others: pack news articles It called for Ms. Godwin to promote the university and hinted that she was considering joining the board of directors.
Employees say the executive’s constant “efforts to turn ABC News into the cheerleading organization of his alma mater, Florida A&M University,” have caused problems, and that “Good Morning America” strangely closed to the school’s homecoming program in October. He said it was broadcast live from across the school.
“She’s the president of news and tourism, not the president of news,” an ABC News official told the Post last April after Godwin ruffled several veteran staffers’ feathers. Told.
At the time, Godwin laid off 50 employees, many of them well-respected and high-level employees, and installed a new leadership team. Sources say the team was made up of “yes men” who didn’t dare question their leaders.
Some fired employees are considering suing ABC News because they were not offered a buyout or severance package. The Daily Beast reported at that time.
For this reason, Godwin’s apparent demotion has been a hot topic in Hollywood for some time. The Daily Beast reported last year that a reorganization may be in the works, speculating that O’Connell, who was president of network and television operations, could be promoted over Godwin.
In what many media outlets called a “tragic event,” Vanity Fair Profile Last March, Godwin was asked about that possibility.
“At the end of the day, we really don’t know, right? Our company is trying to figure it out, and we’re trying to figure out who reports to whom. All I know is that I still don’t know. “He is the head of ABC News and has the support of both of his bosses,” she told the magazine. “There are a lot of moving parts, but I don’t know about those conversations.”
