ABC News President Kim Godwin Gets New ‘Chief Micromanager,’ Effectively Demoted: Sources

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By Alexandra Steigrad

Embattled ABC News president Kim Godwin has been effectively demoted and will report to a “chief micromanager,” insiders told The Post, after parent Disney announced Wednesday a major shakeup of the network’s leadership.

The Mouse House said it is promoting veteran executive Debra O’Connell to lead a new division that would encompass ABC News, including top-rated shows “Good Morning America” ​​and “World News Tonight with David Muir.”

Godwin will now report directly to O’Connell, a 27-year Disney veteran who has run ABC-owned television stations and the company’s entertainment networks, including FX Networks and National Geographic.

A source who worked closely with O’Connell said the shakeup makes Godwin “irrelevant” as news president.

“Debra is a micromanager. “She will control everything,” the source said. “Kim is layered and marginalized.”

The restructuring was announced shortly after Godwin renewed her contract to remain president of ABC News.

Another media insider said Godwin was likely told his contract would only be renewed if he accepted the new position.

The Post has contacted ABC News for comment.

In a memo to staff, Godwin wrote, “Debra and I have collaborated for the past several years and she is a dedicated leader who always champions the best in journalism.”

Godwin previously reported to Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden, who is often cited among a group of potential successors to Disney CEO Bob Iger when he retires next year.

“Debra is an excellent executive who has been successful in a wide range of leadership roles at our company and knows well the extraordinary power of ABC News and its world-class journalists,” Walden said in a statement.

“This new role gives him oversight of all our linear operations, where he will optimize our iconic brands and guide them into the future. “I look forward to her leading these incredibly talented teams as we build on our success.”

O’Connell said, “I consider it a privilege to champion the best networks, the best news organization and the best stations in the world, and I thank Dana for her leadership and trust.”

The move comes as Iger fends off a proxy battle led by activist investor Nelson Peltz.

“I think this is a response to the need to reduce costs and rationalize,” the media expert added. “I also think Kim’s shortcomings drove this.”

Godwin has been a lightning rod at ABC News, which has lost some ground to rivals NBC News and CBS News in its top-rated programs.

The network’s top brass has been paying attention, a source told The Post, noting that Godwin’s many mistakes during his two and a half years in office have not helped his cause.

Godwin first drew widespread criticism from many at the network when news spread of the salacious romance between “GMA3” hosts TJ Holmes and Amy Robach.

Details of the affair emerged in November 2022, but Godwin allowed the “GMA3” couple to remain on the air, sparking a spectacle that generated more news.

As more gory details emerged, Godwin benched the duo and defended them in a Dec. 5 internal call, saying they had “not violated company policy.”

ABC launched an internal investigation soon after, when juicier stories leaked to the tabloids about other Holmes affairs at ABC. After prolonged suspension, ABC reached an agreement with the couple to exit the company.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

“Defending TJ and Amy from the beginning probably cost the company a million dollars,” one media executive speculated at the time.

Other missteps included the awkward handling of Whoopi Goldberg’s suspension after she made anti-Semitic comments on “The View.”

Some employees have also complained about Godwin’s style of self-promotion that overlooks the news division’s serious mission. They noted that Godwin was led to the stage by actors dressed as Wakanda warriors from Marvel’s “Black Panther” at the opening reception of the National Association of Black Journalists convention in 2022.

Others cited a Disc News Article which denounced Godwin’s promotion of his university, suggesting that he was seeking to join the board of trustees.

Employees said the executive’s ongoing “efforts to turn ABC News into a cheer organization for her alma mater, Florida A&M University,” have caused problems when “Good Morning America” ​​curiously aired live from homecoming. from school in October.

“She is the president of news tourism, not the president of the news division,” an ABC News source told The Post last April, after Godwin angered her by cutting several veteran employees.

At that time, Godwin fired 50 employees, many of whom were highly respected and senior, and created his new leadership team, which sources described as “yes men” who did not dare question him. Their leader.

Some of the laid-off employees have considered suing ABC News after they were not offered terminations or severance packages. reported the Daily Beast At the time.

With all that, Godwin’s apparent demotion has been the talk of Hollywood for some time. Last year, the Daily Beast reported that a shakeup may be in the works, speculating that O’Connell, who was president of television networks and operations, could take over Godwin.

In what many media outlets described as “disastrous” Vanity Fair profile Last March, Godwin was questioned about that possibility.

“The bottom line is, I don’t really know, right? Our corporation is trying to figure it out and figure out who reports to whom. What I do know is that I continue to run ABC News and I have the support of both of my bosses,” he told the magazine. “There are a lot of moving parts and I’m not privy to those conversations.”