Barbara Walters announces plans to retire in May 2014 after 52 years in the business

[LG]

UPDATED EXCLUSIVE: After years of speculation, I hear Barbara Walters may be finally ready to hand up her microphone. I’ve learned a plan has been put in place for Walters to announce her retirement, eyed for May 2014. Fitting for Walters’ status as the grand dame of TV journalism and a signature face of ABC News, I hear she would be given a big sendoff with retrospectives and other special content in the weeks leading to her retirement that would celebrate her 52-year broadcast career. Walters had been determined to leave on her own terms, so it is unclear whether revealing the plans would make her change her mind and whether she would go for a full retirement or keep some TV presence with occasional appearances and specials.
Walters has been a trailblazer for female TV journalists, becoming the first woman to co-host a news program when she got behind the Today desk in 1974 and the first co-anchor of a network evening news broadcast when she joined ABC Evening News in 1976. She also anchored ABC News’ primetime newsmagazine 20/20 for 20 years.

Rumors about Walters’ retirement first picked up in December 2011, when TMZ reported of her remark to President Obama made into an open mic during a break in their interview that “I’m retiring next year.” ABC News dismissed the comment as a joke — Walters indeed did not retire last year. Her falling accident and subsequent hospitalization with chicken pox early this year also spurred rumors that she may be ready to reduce her workload. But she returned to work and resumed her duties on The View, which she executive produces and hosts, and at ABC News. A departure by Walters would add to what already is shaping to be a major overhaul of The View. Joy Behar, the only other original panelist besides Walters, recently announced she will leave in the summer. Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s future remains unclear and, despite ABC News’ statements about her long-term contract, speculation is that she will likely leave too.

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[LionDen]

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Barbara Walters is hanging up her microphone.

The veteran ABC newswoman, is expected to step down from both ABC News and her daily talk show, “The View” in May 2014.


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Television newswoman Barbara Walters and former NBC Today show host Hugh Downs hug during airing of Walters' final live broadcast as co-host of the morning news program, at the NBC studios in New York City.

In the weeks before she goes, the network is planning a huge sendoff, with several high profile primetime specials and retrospectives, a source close to the situation told the Daily News.


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Barbara Walters on set of NBC Today show.

The source said the decision had nothing to do with Walters’ health — the 83-year-old recently recuperated from a case of chicken pox that sent her to the hospital for almost two weeks.

When the grand dame of TV news finally steps down next year, her pioneering career will have spanned more than 52 years.


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Barbara Walters with former Vice President Dick Cheney on the daytime talk show "The View," in 2011.

Walters exit has been a bone of contention with her for sometime and she has insisted that she leave on her own terms.

As recently as two weeks ago, sources close to Walters told The News it was “not likely” she would leave.

It remains unclear if revealing the news will induce Walters to change her mind or stay on TV in a limited role, according to Deadline.com, which first reported her exit plan.

Walters was the first woman to co-host a news program when she landed the job as news anchor at the “Today” show in 1974.

She also was the first female co-anchor of a network evening news broadcast when she joined ABC Evening News in 1976.

Buzz about Walters’ retirement gained momentum in 2011 when TMZ reported that she had remarked to President Obama during a break in their interview that “I’m retiring next year.”

At the time, ABC News dismissed the comment as a joke — Walters indeed did not retire last year.

Talk of her retiring surfaced again in January when she fell and hit her head in Washington D.C. when she was planning to cover the Presidential inauguration.

Days later she revealed from her hospital bed that doctors had diagnosed her with the childhood disease, chicken pox.

Walters departure will cloud the increasingly murky future of “The View.”

Joy Behar, the only other original panelist besides Walters, recently announced she will leave this summer.

The future of her co-host, Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s also remains hazy as there are reports that she will likely leave the show too.

Walters has said Hasselbeck will remain on the show.

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