| Charles Gibson |
Charles Gibson, 2008-01-07 |
| Born |
Charles deWolf Gibson
March 9, 1943 (1943-03-09) (age 65)
Evanston, Illinois |
| Occupation |
Television journalist |
| Spouse |
Arlene Gibson |
| Children |
Jessica
Katherine |
| Ethnicity |
White |
| Salary |
$8 Million |
| Notable credit(s) |
ABC World News anchor
(2006–present)
Good Morning America co-anchor
(1987–1998; 1999–2006)
ABC World News correspondent (1981–present) |
Charles “Charlie” deWolf Gibson (born March 9, 1943) is the anchor of ABC World News with Charles Gibson, the network’s flagship evening newscast. He became anchor on May 29, 2006, when the program was known as ABC World News Tonight. He also anchors the 5 p.m. EST Information Network weekday newscast on ABC News Radio. Under Gibson’s leadership, ABC World News beat NBC Nightly News for the first time in several years. The two programs have now been in a dead heat, taking turns at the top among household viewers and the 25–54 age group prized by advertisers.
Gibson previously co-anchored ABC’s Good Morning America for a span of 19 years; first from February 1987 to May 1998, then again from January 1999 to June 2006.
Contents
- 1 Education and early career
- 2 ABC News
- 3 World News with Charles Gibson
- 4 Personal
- 5 Career timeline
- 6 Notes
- 7 External links
- 8 Network “Successions”
|
Education and early career
Born in Evanston, Illinois, Gibson moved to Washington, D.C., when he was 12. He attended the prestigious Sidwell Friends School, a well-known private college-preparatory school in the city. Gibson graduated from Princeton University where he was news director for the university radio station, WPRB-FM and a member of Princeton Tower Club. He now serves on Princeton’s Board of Trustees. Originally, Gibson planned to go into law, but was turned down by many institutions as it was determined his grades were not sufficient for top tier law school work. Gibson joined the RKO Radio Network in 1966 as a producer, but then switched gears given the Vietnam War, joining the Coast Guard and working as a reporter/anchor for WLVA (now WSET) in Lynchburg, Virginia as one of five employees. He then moved to WMAL-TV (now WJLA) in 1970, and took a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1973 before joining ABC in 1975.
ABC News
During the 1970s and 1980s, Gibson covered the House of Representatives and the White House for ABC News. Prior to anchoring ABC’s morning show, Gibson worked as a reporter for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. He sometimes co-anchored World News when Peter Jennings was reporting on location. He also occasionally substituted for Ted Koppel on Nightline. In 1998-1999, he was a co-anchor on the Monday edition of 20/20 with Connie Chung. On October 8, 2004, he moderated the second presidential debate between George W. Bush and John Kerry.
As moderator for the April 16, 2008 Democratic debate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which was televised by ABC, Gibson along with co-moderator George Stephanopoulos was criticized in the Washington Post and other media outlets for his selection of insubstantial, “gotcha”-style questions.
His interview on September 11, 2008 with Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican Vice Presidential nominee, was her first after being named John McCain’s running mate. This interview received criticism of bias from various sources including Charles Krauthammer.
World News with Charles Gibson
Gibson interviews Fred Thompson
Charles Gibson began anchoring ABC World News Tonight regularly after long-time anchor Peter Jennings’ treatment for lung cancer forced him off the set in April 2005. On August 7, 2005, Gibson announced Jennings’ death and the following day anchored World News Tonight, eventually being offered the job. Even though he was a leading choice to replace Jennings, Gibson couldn’t agree with ABC News president David Westin over how long he would stay in the chair. Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff were then chosen to be Jennings’ permanent replacements on December 5, 2005, when they were actually both interim reporters.
With Bob Woodruff’s severe injury in Iraq on January 29, 2006 and Vargas’ announcement that she was pregnant, some critics questioned whether Vargas could sustain the program on her own, pointing to falling ratings. In March 2006, The New York Post’s Cindy Adams reported that Gibson would become Woodruff’s “Temporary Permanent Replacement” on WNT. On May 23, 2006, Gibson was named sole anchor of WNT, effective May 29, 2006, after Vargas announced her resignation from the show; she cited her doctors’ recommendation to considerably reduce her workload due to her upcoming maternity leave, and her wish to spend more time with her new baby. She would return to anchor 20/20. During the summer of 2006, the show’s title was changed to World News with Charles Gibson. According to the New York Times, he had been scheduled to leave ABC News on June 22, 2007, but stayed on to anchor the newscast.
Personal
Gibson’s wife Arlene is an educator who recently retired as Head of School at the Spence School in New York. She has also held positions at other schools in New York and New Jersey, and was the head of the middle school at the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore in the 1980s. She is a trustee at her alma mater, Bryn Mawr College.
Gibson has two daughters, Jessica and Katherine. On March 14, 2006, Jessica gave birth to Gibson’s first grandchild.
On May 17, 2006, Gibson delivered the commencement address at Monmouth University’s Class of 2006 graduation ceremony held at the PNC Bank Arts Center in New Jersey. He was also presented with an honorary doctorate in humane letters.
On June 17, 2007, Gibson delivered the commencement address to the class of 2007 at Union College’s 213th graduation ceremonies. Gibson received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during the ceremony, as well as a framed copy of his father’s 1923 College yearbook entry. His father, Burdett, grew up in Schenectady, New York and graduated from the College in 1923. Gibson contributed an estimated $75,000 to Union College to help create the Burdett Gibson Class of 1923 Scholarship, which will be awarded annually to a deserving student in need.
Gibson donated $85,000 to Shenandoah University in Winchester at the request of his high school girlfriend, Dolores Pearse. She wanted him to establish the Pearse Gibson II Music Scholarship Fund in memory of his brother, who died in early 2006.
Career timeline
- 1970–1973: WJLA anchor and reporter
- 1977–1981: ABC News general assignment correspondent
- 1981–1987: ABC News House of Representatives Chief correspondent
- 1987–1998, 1999–2006: Good Morning America anchor
- 1998-2004: Primetime anchor
- 2004: moderator of town-hall debate between George W. Bush and John Kerry
- May 2006–present: World News anchor
- January 2008: Moderator of debates between the Democratic Candidates, as well as Republican Candidates
- April 2008: Moderator of debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton
- September 2008: First major interview of Republican Vice-Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin.
Notes
- ^ Shales, Tom (April 17, 2008). “In Pa. Debate, The Clear Loser Is ABC”, Washington Post, p. C01.
- ^ Associated Press (April 17, 2008). “Ratings, criticism big for ABC debate: Gibson, Stephanopoulos draw fire for ’shoddy’ work”. MSNBC.
- ^ Charles Krauthammer (September 13, 2008). “Charlie Gibson’s Gaffe”. Washington Post.
- ^ Steinberg, Jacques (February 4, 2006). “Changes at ABC, Where the War Is More Than News”, New York Times.
- ^ “Charlie Gibson: WNT’s ‘Temporary Permanent Replacement?’”. TVNewser. mediabistro.com.
- ^ “Charlie Gibson Named Sole Anchor of ‘World News Tonight’”, ABC News (May 23, 2006).
- ^ Steinberg, Jacques (2007-05-17). “Charles Gibson Enjoys a Second Wind on ABC”, New York Times.
- ^ “Arlene Joy Gibson Financial Aid Endowment Fund”. Spence School.
- ^ 2005-2006 Bulletin (PDF), The Spence School.
- ^ “Presidential Search Committee Begins to Form”. Bryn Mawr Now. Bryn Mawr (February 22, 2007).
- ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (March 15, 2006). “GMA Host Charles Gibson a Granddad”. People Magazine.
- ^ “Charles Gibson to Deliver Monmouth University Commencement Speech on May 17″. Monmouth University (April 27, 2006).
- ^ Associated Press (June 17, 2007). “ABC anchor Charles Gibson urges Union College graduates in upstate N.Y. to act ethically”, Augusta Chronicle.
- ^ “Charles Gibson speaks at Union College commencement”, News10 (June 17, 2007).
- ^ “ABC’s Gibson establishes scholarship”, USA Today (June 17, 2007).
- ^ “Text of President Stephen Ainlay’s remarks”. Union News. Schenectady, NY: Union College (June 17, 2007).
- ^ “ABC News’ Charles Gibson Donates $85,000 to Shenandoah University”. Grad School News (August 29, 2007).
- ^ a b c d e f g “Charles Gibson: Anchor ‘World News Tonight’”, ABC News (September 10, 2008).
External links
- ABC News Bio
- Charles Gibson’s Official Facebook Page
- Charlie Gibson’s Goodbye Speech on GMA
- Charlie Gibson Tribute Videos
- Photos: Celebrating Charlie’s 19 years
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