Barbara Walters to Retire — Should She Be Replaced on The View? And If So, By Whom?
Veteran journalist Barbara Walters will retire next spring, TVLine has confirmed.
The move means she’ll also step down from her position as co-host of The View in May 2014, according to our sister site Deadline, which first reported the news.
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ABC is reportedly planning retrospectives and specials to commemorate Walters’ 52-year career in television; that content will air in the weeks leading up to her final broadcast.
Whether Walters will fully retire or appear occasionally for special reports is unknown.
The pioneering journalist was the first female co-host of NBC’s Today and the first female co-anchor of an evening newscast at ABC Evening News. She also led ABC’s news journal 20/20 for two decades. In 1997, she co-created The View, the daytime talk show she co-hosts and executive-produces.
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Walters suffered a fall and a bout with chicken pox earlier this year but has since returned to her full workload. Her retirement is the second confirmed View exit this month: Co-host Joy Behar recently announced that she would leave the popular panel show after this season.
Do you think The View should replace Barbara Walters? If so, who would you like to see fill her seat? Sound off in the comments!
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