Kim Godwin steps down suddenly as president of ABC News
Kim Godwin steps down suddenly as president of ABC News
Kim Godwin, who three years ago became the first Black woman to run a broadcast television news division, announced late Sunday that she is leaving the network and retiring from the news business.
Her sudden departure comes about two months after the network’s parent company, Disney, appointed a veteran executive in a newly created role just above her to oversee the news division, essentially stripping Godwin of oversight over ABC News. At the same time, however, Godwin signed a contract extension to remain president of the network.
In announcing her new contract, Godwin gave no sign of her coming departure. “There is more work to be done,” she wrote. “Now let’s get to it.”
She struck a very different tone in a memo to staff on Sunday night, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, describing her departure as a happy ending to a long and storied career.
“Anyone who’s passionate about what we do knows there’s no other business like it, so this was not an easy or quick decision,” she wrote. “But after considerable reflection, I’m certain it’s the right one for me as I look to the future and prioritize what’s most important for me and my family.”
Godwin’s tenure atop ABC News was rocky. In the winter of 2023, Godwin initially chose to leave daytime television hosts T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach on air despite a tabloid report detailing a romantic relationship between the two married journalists. It was days later before she pulled the pair off the air while considering how to handle what she described as “an internal and an external distraction.” Robach and Holmes did not return to their jobs at ABC News.
That incident confused ABC staffers and led to internal questions about her leadership, questions that have only grown louder in recent months.
Debra OConnell, the new executive named to the role above Godwin in February, praised Godwin in her own memo Sunday. “Kim has navigated this team through consequential times in our world, and she did so with respect for the brand and profession — and for that and more, we thank her,” she wrote.
OConnell said she would lead ABC News “for the time being.”
Godwin came to ABC News in 2021 after a long career as an executive at CBS News. Her appointment to oversee the network followed several internal controversies, including the departure of ABC News executive Barbara Fedida after an investigation allegedly found that she had made “unacceptable racially insensitive comments” on the job. A few years earlier, veteran investigative journalist Brian Ross left the network after a significant reporting error.
On Sunday night, Godwin expressed confidence that the news division’s culture has improved during her tenure.
“Together, we committed to a cultural shift, where people could be their authentic selves, feeling seen and heard, while doing their best work,” she wrote. “For all these reasons and more, I depart ABC News and this profession with the sincerest sense of pride, accomplishment and gratitude. My heart is filled.”