Updated Wednesday, September 2nd 2009, 5:43 PM
Katie Couric's got new competition - Diane Sawyer.
ABC's golden girl is taking over the "World News" anchor desk after Charlie Gibson's retirement was announced Wednesday [read his e-mail to staffers here].
Sawyer, 63, is leaving "Good Morning America" to helm the evening news, much the way Couric left "Today" to replace Dan Rather at CBS. "Diane is one of the hardest-working people I know and this new assignment is the latest achievement in an already accomplished and illustrious career," Couric said in a statement yesterday.
"And as I did, I'm sure she'll quickly find that she doesn't miss that early morning alarm clock." The move makes Sawyer only the second woman to solo anchor an evening newscast. Couric has been at the "CBS Evening News" since September 2006.
Gibson announced his retirement in an email to staffers. "It has not been an easy decision to make," he said. "This has been my professional home for almost 35 years. And I love this news department, and all who work in it, to the depths of my soul."
Gibson, 66, replaced former "World News" anchors Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff in 2006, after Vargas went on maternity leave and Woodruff was injured in Iraq.
The newsman - who originally planned to retire two years ago - will leave the anchor job at the end of the year. ABC News President David Westin told the Daily News that after several weeks of discussion, Gibson convinced him the move is what he wants.
"When he came to me a couple months ago and first said this is what he wanted to do, I told him that...I would rather him stay," said Westin.
"That said, once he told me last week that he really had decided that this was the time to go, I'm very happy with the decision to have Diane become the new anchor."
"She has an outstanding and varied career in television journalism, beginning with her role as a State Department correspondent and continuing at '60 Minutes,' 'Primetime Live,' and most recently 'Good Morning America,'" Westin said in a statement.
In the ratings race, the "NBC Nightly News" anchored by Brian Williams is in first place with 7.8 million viewers last week, followed by ABC with just over 7 million and trailed by Couric's CBS with 5.3 million.
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