The first Black woman to lead a broadcast TV news division, leaves ABC News after a tumultuous three-year run marked by cultural shifts, personnel changes and declining ratings.
- May 6, 2024
AceShowbiz - Kim Godwin, who made history as the first Black woman to run a broadcast TV news division, is leaving ABC News after a turbulent three-year run. The Walt Disney Co.-owned network announced Godwin's departure Sunday, May 5 in a memo from Debra O'Connell, president of News Group and Networks. O'Connell said she will oversee the news division "for the time being."
Godwin joined ABC in May 2021 from CBS News, where she was an executive vice president and oversaw diversity efforts. She had signed a new deal with ABC in February, when the company put her division under O'Connell, a veteran Disney executive. The move raised concerns about Godwin's future at the Burbank-based entertainment company.
Godwin said in a note to staff that she "understood and appreciated the profound significance of being the first Black woman to lead a national broadcast news network." She noted that it was both a privilege and a debt to those who had paved the way.
Godwin's tenure followed the dismissal of Barbara Fedida, a longtime top executive who made "racially insensitive comments" about the network's Black talent. Godwin's predecessor, James Goldston, left six months later.
Godwin was brought in to improve the culture at ABC News, but faced criticism about her management style from anonymous sources. She was reportedly focused on life-work balance and morning meetings that began with "Happy Birthday" singalongs.
Godwin also faced criticism for being detached from day-to-day operations. She made sweeping cuts in the division as part of Disney's job reductions last year, which led to the departure of veteran executives.
The National Association of Black Journalists issued a statement supporting Godwin and criticizing the press coverage of her tenure. It pointed to anonymous sources and derogatory or stereotypical terms used to describe her.
