As a seasoned viewer and admirer of ABC News, I must say that the latest news about George Stephanopoulos‘ extended stay at ABC seems like a breath of fresh air amidst the turbulent winds of change sweeping through the TV news industry.
Veteran broadcast journalist George Stephanopoulos has secured fresh terms, ensuring his continued tenure with ABC News and hosting duties on “Good Morning America” in the short-term.
The report aims to put an end to rumors that highly-compensated figure Stephanopolous might be departing from the Disney-owned network, as all news outlets are considering cost-cutting measures by reducing expensive talent contracts. According to a reliable industry insider familiar with the agreement, the new contract’s duration is less than usual for multi-year on-air talent deals – hinting at current trends within the television news sector.
Initially, The Los Angeles Times broke the story about the latest agreement. Previously, George Stephanopoulos was among television’s highest-earning anchors, pocketing up to $18 million annually. In recent times, there has been a great deal of conjecture surrounding Stephanopoulos due to several factors. First, Disney CEO Bob Iger approved a $15 million settlement and an extra $1 million to resolve a lawsuit from Donald Trump’s legal team. Second, on December 13th, there was a quasi-apology issued by Stephanopoulos.
According to EbMaster’s report, it is believed that Stephanopoulos was taken by surprise by the deal and didn’t know that Disney had chosen to settle. Over the weekend, he deactivated his account on a platform previously known as Twitter, which had over 2.3 million followers, following intense criticism of the Disney settlement. When contacted, representatives for Stephanopoulos directed queries to ABC News. However, ABC News could not be immediately reached for a comment.
In March 2024, ABC News faced a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump due to comments made during an interview on “This Week” by the anchor. The comment in question was that “Donald Trump had been found liable for rape by a jury,” which referred to a verdict in a previous case where a jury decided that Trump had sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s.
On their own, talent representatives have been closely monitoring shows such as ABC’s “Good Morning America,” particularly following significant cuts in the news industry lately. Notably, “GMA” has substantial costs due to the salaries of its primary anchors: Robin Roberts, Stephanopoulos, and Michael Strahan. With Stephanopoulos’ contract coming up for renewal first, negotiations were anticipated to be challenging.
Currently, “Good Morning America” (GMA) is engaged in a fierce competition for ratings with its NBC counterpart, “Today”. Last week, GMA recorded an average of 2.69 million viewers, while “Today” averaged 2.83 million. Recently, Hoda Kotb, one of the anchors on “Today”, decided to leave her position. Although salary wasn’t mentioned as the reason for her departure, many perceived it as a symbol of the cost-cutting measures being implemented in the television industry, particularly in long-running programs like “Today” and “GMA”. This trend is aimed at reducing talent and production costs.
Stephanopoulos last renewed his contract with the network in 2019, agreeing to a four-year term extension. In 2021, he further extended this contract, taking on additional responsibilities such as creating a new political program for Hulu and producing four prime-time specials. Meanwhile, David Muir was appointed lead anchor for ABC News’ special reports and coverage of significant national news events on “World News Tonight”.
George Stephanopoulos has been associated with ABC News since 1997; initially as an analyst after serving as a communications director in the Clinton White House. His journey with the news network led him to become the host of the weekly public affairs program “This Week” in 2002, and later joining “Good Morning America” in 2009.
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2024-12-19 04:17