There will be a two-hour tribute for the journalism veteran in addition to two-week long farewell on the talk show.
- Apr 7, 2014
AceShowbiz - Barbara Walters will bid "The View" goodbye on Friday, May 16, it has been revealed. The 84-year-old veteran announced her retirement from television journalism in May last year.
"In this business there are legends, there are icons, and then there is Barbara Walters," Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive of The Walt Disney Company said in a statement. "She's a dear friend and colleague as well as someone I deeply admire, and it's impossible to fully convey her impact and influence on television. She broke barriers, defied convention, made history and set the standard for journalistic excellence for more than 50 years. It's hard to imagine television without her."
Walters will be given a week-long goodbye on "The View" beginning Monday, May 12. There will be a two-hour primetime special highlighting her life and career on May 16. Moreover, the ABC News headquarters in NYC will be named in her honor during a ceremony to be held this spring.
"Barbara Walters was one of the first people I met as an ABC page almost 38 years ago. She was fiercely intelligent, impressive, and inspiring then, and remains so to this day...Her influence on television, and American culture, will resonate for decades to come," Anne Sweeney, co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney/ABC Television Group said.
It is yet clear who will replace her on "The View". She began her stint on the talk show in 1997 and will remain as executive producer as well as "a lifelong member of ABC News, contributing as news warrants."
