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As ABC Information covers the extremely consequential 2022 midterm elections on Tuesday night, its reside desk will function a notable absence: George Stephanopoulos.
ABC’s prime political anchor and host of each Good Morning America and This Week won't spearhead or be concerned within the broadcast community’s night-of protection after main it in each 2018 and 2020, a press launch indicated final week. Election night time protection will as a substitute be led by World Information Tonight anchor David Muir.
The change has left some ABC Information staffers baffled, with a number of noting to The Day by day Beast how Stephanopoulos, a former Clinton White Home senior adviser and longtime political pundit, is taken into account among the many most well-known political journalists on TV.
Moreover, Stephanopoulos’ absence seems to characterize a victory for Muir in a long-standing, behind-the-scenes feud between the rival ABC Information stars.
Requested for touch upon his notable absence from the ABC Information election night time desk, Stephanopoulos advised The Day by day Beast on Tuesday afternoon that he “signed a brand new deal and that’s what I’m centered on.” He declined to remark additional when requested if his absence was in any respect associated to Muir. Neither ABC Information nor Muir responded to a request for remark.
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This shift at ABC comes amid a reportedly bitter back-and-forth between the 2 prime anchors on the Disney-owned information arm. Stephanopoulos reportedly threatened to go away for a rival community final 12 months over tensions with Muir. CNN reported that ABC was so desirous to appease Stephanopoulos that then-Disney chairman Bob Iger and fellow Disney exec Peter Rice personally flew out from Burbank to New York to supply him a profitable contract extension and maintain the peace.
The spat revolved across the “chief anchor” title, which Stephanopoulos had beforehand held. With that title, and regardless of Muir’s ever-increasing position in anchoring ABC’s information protection, Stephanopoulos led the outlet’s particular occasions protection, together with the 2018 and 2020 elections, whereas Muir centered on internet hosting World Information Tonight.
In accordance with CNN, after Stephanopoulos finally gave up the title, he was angered to seek out out Muir additionally took over particular stories alongside his nightly newsposition, successfully serving as “chief anchor” in all however title.
To stop Stephanopoulos from alleging a breach of contract and leaving the community, ABC gave him the profitable new deal together with breaking information protection duties and a brand new manufacturing firm. Muir inherited the particular protection duties, akin to helming the 2022 election night time protection.
Such shifts in duties will not be uncommon at information networks, in fact. CNN has made a public spectacle of passing the torch to Jake Tapper from longtime election-night fixture Wolf Blitzer, who won't anchor the cable outlet’s election desk for the primary time since 2004.
ABC has been a lot quieter about its altering of the guard. The community’s sole point out of Stephanopoulos got here within the tenth paragraph of its 11-paragraph press launch, the place it famous his involvement in ABC’s “Energy Journey” docuseries.
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