New York Times TV Critic Alessandra Stanley‘s takeaway from the move is that Diane Sawyer taking over for Charlie Gibson means she, Katie Couric and Brian Williams are now “evenly matched in looks and take-charge personality.” Also, from earlier in the column: “Ms. Sawyer appears to have the same high-octane drive and ambition as Brian Williams and Katie Couric.” But wait – looks?!

Friday was now-former ABC World News anchor Charlie Gibson‘s last day as anchor, and his sign-off was pretty pitch-perfect, with just the right combination of journalistic gravitas (“Objectivity is not universally in favor in our business these days, but it is critically important. It is what we strive for each night”) and clearly-felt sentiment (“It [...]

Today was Charlie Gibson’s final broadcast at ABC World News after three and a half years of leading his network’s flagship news program out of its most tenuous and uncertain time — and into an even more uncertain one for the entire news profession. On Monday, his colleague Diane Sawyer will take over, and the ABC evening news will go on, as it always has. But looking back, there’s probably no way it could have happened without Gibson, steady and calm at the center, an anchor in the true sense of the word.

The rumblings about the soon-to-be vacant anchor seat at ABC’s Good Morning America are now focused on one name as the lead candidate – George Stephanopoulos.

While a spokesperson for ABC says no decision is close to being made, TV insiders say the This Week anchor has become the lead contender for the job. But there may be more to the story.

Remember when an anchor stepping down was a huge deal? Tom Brokaw. Dan Rather. Peter Jennings. These names were huge pillars of the news ecosystem, and their departures were big stories — as well as the fraught issue of who had the gravitas to step into their anchorly shoes.

Oh, how things have changed. Today, the news that Charlie Gibson is leaving ABC’s World News after only a few years in the top spot is definitely news, but is shaking no foundations. It’s also not at all surprising who is replacing him: Diane Sawyer. Well, except that she’s a woman.