Debra OConnell will oversee news at Disney
The Walt Disney Company announced Wednesday that Debra O'Connell, a longtime company executive, would become president of a newly created division that will include ABC News and the company's local stations.
The move effectively puts Ms. OConnell in charge of ABC News' signature properties, including “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight.” Kim Godwin, ABC News' president since 2021, will remain in her role — executives said Wednesday she had signed a new contract — but with one important caveat: She will now report to Ms. OConnell.
“Debra is an outstanding executive who has succeeded in a wide range of leadership roles across our company and who knows intimately the extraordinary power of ABC News and its world-class journalists,” said Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment. a statement on Wednesday.
The reorganization mirrors what has taken place at other network news departments. Several executives at NBC News report to Cesar Conde, the chairman of the so-called NBCUniversal news group, a division that includes local news and cable networks such as MSNBC. Wendy McMahon, the president of CBS News, also oversees local stations.
In appointing Ms. OConnell to the new role, the company has added an executive layer between Ms. Walden and Ms. Godwin, who has had a difficult tenure since taking over as head of ABC News in 2021.
Last year, ABC News parted ways with “GMA3” hosts TJ Holmes and Amy Robach, capping a weeks-long gossip spectacle after it was revealed the hosts were in a romantic relationship. Ms Godwin initially kept the two in the air, but changed course several days later. Mr. Holmes and Ms. Robach left the network a few months later.
“Good Morning America” remains the most-watched morning news program, but ratings among adults under 54 — the key metric for advertisers — have fallen 21 percent since September, steeper than “Today” or “CBS Mornings,” according to Nielsen. The third-ranked CBS morning show has also posted a handful of ratings gains on “GMA” since September, an unusual development.
In a letter to employees, Ms. Godwin said the new executive structure would “allow us to better amplify the incredible work we all produce every day.”
“Debra and I have worked together over the years and she is a dedicated leader who always champions the best in journalism,” Ms. Godwin wrote.
In a separate memo to employees, Ms. OConnell praised ABC News' “world-class reporting.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to share how excited I am to bring ABC News, the ABC stations and our network teams together as one organization,” she wrote.