ABC News Announces Next President For ABC News

Almin Karamehmedovic

ABC News has selected an internal candidate, veteran producer Almin Karamehmedovic, to serve as its next president, the network announced on Monday morning.

The Washington Post reports Karamehmedovic will replace Kimberly Godwin, who stepped down suddenly in early May, leaving the network without a leader just six months before the presidential election.

Karamehmedovic joined the network as a freelance video editor in 1998. He has overseen production of “World News Tonight with David Muir” since 2014.

“As a leader, partner or colleague, Almin consistently brings both journalistic integrity and creative excellence coupled with a collaborative and innovative spirit,” said Debra O'Connell, who leads the news group for parent company Disney, in a memo to network employees that was obtained by The Washington Post.

“I approach this role with great respect and humility, not only for the hundreds of colleagues around the world whose tireless contributions fuel the unflinching and unbiased reporting of ABC News but also for the viewers we serve,” Karamehmedovic said in his own statement.

Under his watch, “World News Tonight” remained the most-watched broadcast news show in television, drawing 7.2 million total viewers in the second quarter of this year.

A former ABC News executive who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk candidly called Karamehmedovic a “great, great choice” who “definitely cares more about the people, the journalism, and the organization than himself.”

His appointment comes at a crucial time for ABC News, which has faced a wave of transition in recent months. In June, Godwin’s second-in-command, ABC News executive editor Stacia Deshishku, said she would leave the network and end her career in journalism.

One of ABC’s primary competitors, CBS, has also undergone significant turmoil — both at the management level and the talent level. Ingrid Ciprián-Matthews announced her resignation as president of CBS News in early July, and later in the month the network announced that Norah O’Donnell would step down as the network’s nightly news anchor after the election.

CBS News employees are also readying for a wave of layoffs; parent company Paramount announced last week that it would cut roughly 15 percent of employees between now and the end of September.