Embattled ABC News president Kim Godwin was effectively demoted and can report back to a “micromanager boss,” insiders told The Post — after parent Disney on Wednesday announced a significant restructuring to the network’s leadership.
The Mouse House said it’s elevating veteran executive Debra O’Connell to helm a recent division that might encompass ABC News, which incorporates the top-rated shows “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight with David Muir.”
Godwin will now report on to O’Connell, a 27-year Disney veteran who has been answerable for ABC-owned TV stations and the corporate’s entertainment networks, including FX Networks and National Geographic.
A source who worked closely with O’Connell said the shakeup renders Godwin “irrelevant” as a news president.
“Debra is a micromanager. She is going to control every little thing,” the source said. “Kim is layered and marginalized.”
The restructuring was announced shortly after Godwin renewed her contract to stay ABC News president.
ABC News president Kim Godwin got an efficient demotion, in response to some sources, because the network restructured. Getty Images,
One other media insider said Godwin was likely told her contract only could be renewed if she accepted the brand new position.
The Post reached out to ABC News for comment.
In a memo to staff, Godwin wrote, “Debra and I actually have collaborated during the last couple of years, and she or he is a dedicated leader who at all times champions the most effective in journalism.”
Previously, Godwin had reported to co-chairman of Disney Entertainment Dana Walden, who is usually cited as amongst a bunch of potential successors to Disney CEO Bob Iger when he retires next 12 months.
“Debra is a superb executive who has succeeded in a wide selection of leadership roles around our company and knows thoroughly the extraordinary power of ABC News and its world-class journalists,” Walden said in a press release.
“This recent role gives her oversight across all our linear operations, where she is going to find a way to optimize our iconic brands and shepherd them into the long run. I sit up for having her lead these incredibly talented teams as we construct on our success.”
O’Connell said, “I consider it a privilege to advocate for the most effective networks, the most effective news organization and the most effective stations on the earth, and thank Dana for her leadership and trust.”
The move comes as Iger fends off a proxy battle led by activist investor Nelson Peltz.
Under the restructuring, Godwin will now report back to Debra O’Connell, who’s viewed as a micro-managing boss by some. Getty Images
“I believe that is in response to a have to cut costs and streamline,” the media insider added. “I also think Kim’s shortcomings pushed this.”
Godwin has been a lightning rod at ABC News, which has lost some ground to rivals NBC News and CBS News at its top-ranked shows.
Top brass on the network has paid attention, one insider told The Post, noting that Godwin’s many gaffes over her two-and-half-year tenure haven’t helped her cause.
Godwin first drew widespread criticism from many on the network as news spread of the salacious affair between “GMA3” hosts TJ Holmes and Amy Robach.
Details of the affair spilled out in November 2022, but Godwin permitted the “GMA3” pair to stay on the air, causing a spectacle which led to more news stories.
As more lurid tidbits got here out, Godwin benched the duo and defended them on a Dec. 5 interoffice call, saying they “had not violated company policy.”
ABC launched an internal probe soon after, as more juicy stories were leaked to the tabloids about Holmes’ other affairs at ABC. After a chronic suspension, ABC settled with the pair to exit the corporate.
Financial details of the deal weren’t disclosed.
“Standing up for TJ and Amy early on probably cost the corporate $1 million,” a media exec speculated on the time.
Godwin had previously reported to Dana Walden, who’s one in every of a small group considered to be within the running for Iger’s job when he retires. Getty Images
Other missteps included the awkward handling of Whoopi Goldberg’s suspension after she made anti-semitic comments on “The View.”
Some staffers have also griped about Godwin’s self-promotional style that glosses over the intense mission of the news division. They pointed to Godwin being led on stage by actors dressed as Wakanda warriors from Marvel’s “Black Panther” on the opening reception of the National Association of Black Journalists convention in 2022.
Others cited a Puck News article that called out Godwin’s promotion of her university, suggesting she was seeking to join the board of trustees.
Employees said the exec’s constant “efforts to show ABC News right into a cheerleading organization for her alma mater Florida A&M University” have caused problems as “Good Morning America” oddly broadcast live from the varsity’s homecoming in October.
During her short tenure, Godwin has made a slew of missteps, including exacerbating the TJ Holmes-Amy Robach affair. Getty Images for The Alliance for Women in Media
“She’s the president of reports tourism, not the president of the news division,” an ABC News insider told The Post last April, after Godwin ruffled feathers by chopping several veteran staffers
On the time, Godwin fired 50 staffers — lots of whom were well-respected and high-level — and put in place her recent leadership team, which sources described as “yes-men” who didn’t dare to query their leader.
Among the fired employees have looked into suing ABC News, after they weren’t offered buyouts or severance, the Every day Beast reported on the time.
Under Godwin’s leadership, ABC News’ morning show and evening news has slipped within the rankings. Christopher Sadowski
With all that, Godwin’s apparent demotion has been the talk of Hollywood for a while. Last 12 months, the Every day Beast reported that a restructuring could also be within the works, speculating that O’Connell, who was president of networks and the TV operations, may very well be elevated over Godwin.
In what many media types called a “disastrous” Vanity Fair profile last March, Godwin was questioned about that possibility.
“The underside line is, I actually don’t know, right? Our corporation is attempting to figure it out, and attempting to work out who reports to who. What I do know is I’m still leading ABC News, and I actually have the support of each of my bosses,” she told the glossy. “There are a whole lot of moving parts, and I’m not aware about those conversations.”