Wasn't Barbara Walters a FORTH castmember on World News Tonight (1978-1983)?

[newscenter 0]

I know for the first two years at ABC News, Barbara Walters co-anchored with Harry Reasoner on an evening newscast titled ABC EVENING NEWS. The anchor pairing lasted from 1976 (when Walters came from the Today Show from NBC News) to 1978 (when Reasoner returned to CBS News to co-anchor 60 Minutes)

 

I also know of the name change in 1978, from ABC Evening News to what we now know as WORLD NEWS TONIGHT, and along with that came the comeback of Peter Jennings to the anchor desk. Moreover, the famous four-note ABC News music logo was born, and it is still going strong today. Jennings anchored the world headlines from London, Max Robinson anchored the national news from Chicago, and Frank Reynolds anchored the day's political goings-on in Washington.

 

But what I would like to know is - was Barbara Walters a forth castmember of World News Tonight? If so, she never left the evening news game when Reasoner left for CBS, and the name was changed to World News Tonight. Three men (Jennings, Robinson and Reynolds) and a woman (Walters) every Monday thru Friday.

[WXmanTim 88]

Yes and no.

 

The best answer, though, can be found in Marc Gunter's book "The House That Roone Built: The Inside Story of ABC News" (1994). I highly suggest seeing if your local library has a copy or asking them to inter-library loan from another library.

 

If I had more time and energy I would go into it (again), but the story is told over several pages of the book. Suffice it to say that Arledge's original vision for "World News Tonight," like many of his projects, was endlessly tweaked and refined over time. One thing is for sure: Walters' contract at the time guaranteed her the anchor desk - if there was one - in New York, therefore he decided to station his anchors elsewhere. Not because of any animus toward Walters', he apparently adored her, but because it would restrict his vision for the broadcast.

 

IIRC the original vision was three anchors and a daily commentary-type segment rotated amongst different correspondents...Walters and the late Howard K. Smith among them.