Kim Godwin is leaving as the head of ABC News, she announced to employees on Sunday evening.
Godwin is retiring after what she called a time of “considerable reflection,” she wrote in a note obtained by The Hill.
In another note to staff, Debra O’Connell, a longtime executive at Disney, which owns ABC News, said she would be taking over for Godwin.
“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,” Godwin wrote in her note. “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 ouster comes amid a slew of headlines surrounding her leadership style and management in recent days.
Those reports prompted a statement from the The National Association of Black Journalists saying it was concerned about an effort to “undermine the leadership of the first Black woman to take the helm of a global news organization.”
Godwin took over as the president of ABC News in 2021 and has overseen the broadcast network during a turbulent time that has included major job reductions and the ouster of two “Good Morning America 3” anchors after a romantic relationship between them was revealed.
Her ouster comes as many media and business observers have speculated about the future of ABC, after Disney CEO Bob Iger suggested last summer the company needed to get out of the linear television business and could be open to the possibility of selling the broadcasting giant.
