'A huge part of this for me was a promise that I was not going to be tethered to the anchor desk,' says the journalist who will make his debut as Diane Sawyer's replacement on Tuesday night.
- Sep 2, 2014
AceShowbiz - Just hours before making his debut on "World News Tonight", David Muir talks about his new gig. Having been known as a prolific journalist, he plans to spend as much time as possible on the field rather than staying at the office as he begins the new era of "World News Tonight". "A huge part of this for me was a promise that I was not going to be tethered to the anchor desk," he says prior to his first broadcast on Tuesday, September 2.
Unlike his predecessor, Muir won't be the network's main anchor on breaking news reports, but he's okay with it since it aligns with his desire to get away from the anchor desk as much as possible. George Stephanopoulos will be on standby for the breaking news reports instead.
Muir says of his tenure as reporter on ABC News over the past 11 years, "If I wasn't out there, the job wouldn't be as inviting for me. I still am a reporter at my core. I remember the first report I did when Peter called me out in the field afterward. Just hearing 'Peter's holding on the line for you' was enough to get my heart racing. And with the relationship I've built with viewers, I think they would wonder what happened to me if all of a sudden, they saw me only behind a desk."
The 40-year-old journalist replaces Diane Sawyer who officially stepped down from "World News Tonight" on August 27. He had served as anchor for ABC News' weekend broadcast since 2011 before being named the new weeknight anchor.
