Mediaite Founder Dan Abrams Officially Joins ABC News, Good Morning America

by Mark Joyella | 10:47 am, February 28th, 2011

» 33 comments

ABC News president Ben Sherwood has announced that Mediaite founder Dan Abrams, the longtime chief legal analyst at NBC News and MSNBC, has joined ABC, with a variety of assignments at the network, including legal analyst at Good Morning America. “I’ve known Dan since the start of his successful network career. An insightful lawyer, he is also a high-impact broadcaster, commentator, analyst and entrepreneur,” said Sherwood in a memo announcing the move to ABC News staff.

In his new role, Abrams will serve as an occasional anchor of GMA Weekend and, in Sherwood’s words “add to the strength of ABC’s legal team” including 20/20 anchor and chief law and justice correspondent Chris Cuomo, Nightline anchor and Supreme Court correspondent Terry Moran and our senior justice correspondent Pierre Thomas.

Abrams told Mediaite “I am thrilled to be joining ABC News and to be re-joining Ben Sherwood who produced (and umm fixed) my first scripts and stories when I began my career as a correspondent at NBC News.” Abrams added “Leaving my friends and colleagues at NBC and MSNBC is the most difficult professional decision I have ever had to make and I will forever the cherish the opportunities, both on air and off, that NBC provided me. The expanded role that I will have at ABC and the privilege of getting to work with Ben Sherwood again made this opportunity the perfect fit for this point in my career. I can’t wait to get started.”

I’m writing to share good news:

Dan Abrams is joining ABC News in a variety of roles.

First and foremost, Dan will work as the Legal Analyst at Good Morning America. In addition, he will contribute pieces to GMA on many subjects and will occasionally substitute anchor on GMA Weekend.

I’ve known Dan since the start of his successful network career. An insightful lawyer, he is also a high-impact broadcaster, commentator, analyst and entrepreneur.

Dan is joining our formidable legal team including 20/20 anchor and Chief Law and Justice Correspondent Chris Cuomo, Nightline anchor and Supreme Court correspondent Terry Moran and our Senior Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas.

ABC News distinguishes itself everyday in this important area and Dan will make our team even stronger.

Please join me in welcoming Dan and his considerable talents to ABC News.

Ben

ABC News, ben sherwood, Dan Abrams, Good Morning America, Mediaite, msnbc, NBC News

BlueBunny

GOOD LUCK TO YOU DAN!
The Real Royal King

Congratulations, Dan.
BFD

Congrats Dan!!
Yukon Jack

Mr. Abrams, thanks for the memories.

I may not have always agreed with your political positions, but I always respected your integrity.

Sorely missing in the words and actions of those in the networks you are leaving behind.

Good Luck and Gos Speed.
http://inyourfaceradio.net In Your Face Radio

Keep playing all ends Dan .. left – right who cares as long as the top line is met
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

Congrats – it will be great to have him back on as a regular on tv again!
milynily

Good luck, always watched “After Hours”, miss that show. What happened to the band?
BatBoy

I do not know if this is a picture of Dan Abrahams or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when he was a little younger
Check it out for your self….I report – You Decide!

http://www.google.com/images?rlz=1T4ADFA_enUS370US370&q=mahmoud+ahmadinejad&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1561&bih=776
Annie Oakley

Congratulations, Dan.
http://www.snowspot.net Snowspot

Congrats, ever since gawker’s ugly new redesign I’ve been here a lot more.
Yukon Jack

Just for curiosity: If a right-wing host decided to find a position/job with an other employer, would the reaction be the same???
MyKinKStar

Good on you Dan! I don’t watch ABC news, but just might have to flip over occasionally to catch a glimpse of your cute self. Congratulations!
The Real Royal King

Yukon Jack said:
Just for curiosity: If a right-wing host decided to find a position/job with an other employer, would the reaction be the same???

Absolutely. If O’Beckerhead went to work for Al Jazeera, I would be terribly pleased and would be congratulating him.
DaTruth

The most salient question: What will Mediaite’s coverage of ABC News look like now? I’d say a statement addressing this would be prudent.
http://www.swissarmyjew.com Keeva

Congrats Dan. Good luck at the Disney News Network.
Yukon Jack

The Real Royal King said:
Absolutely. If O’Beckerhead went to work for Al Jazeera, I would be terribly pleased and would be congratulating him.

I would be terribly pleased if you ever found the decency to refer to people that you don’t like by their REAL name. Of course, you might not find that witty or funny.

Glenn Beck to Al Jazeera?

Don’t hold your breath. On second thought, please DO. For at least 5 minutes.
Arkansas Steve

GOOD MOVE for you Dan.
Anyone who can get out of the NBC/MSNBC slum can’t help but improve his life.

Do what you want about this (obviously), but you”re NOT one of those guys who looks bertter with a little beard.
Best wishes & thank you for starting Mediaite!
Arkansas Steve

Sorry everybody. Those goofs above are all my “keyboard’s fault”. It’s not me. It’s my defective & poorly designed keyboard.

I sound like a Democrat, don’t I.
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

Arkansas Steve said:
Do what you want about this (obviously), but you”re NOT one of those guys who looks bertter with a little beard.

ooh, i disagree!
;o)
Arkansas Steve

sarainitaly said:
ooh, i disagree!;o)

I understand Sara. If you meet Dan, feel free to give him a big kiss. As for me, a nice firm handshake will be just fine.
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

no smooches from dan for you?
Joe4more

Arkansas Steve said:
GOOD MOVE for you Dan.
Anyone who can get out of the NBC/MSNBC slum can’t help but improve his life.

Do what you want about this (obviously), but you”re NOT one of those guys who looks bertter with a little beard.
Best wishes & thank you for starting Mediaite!

Just can’t find it in your dna to give up an authentic compliment. You swipe msnbc, where Dan got exposure that certainly helped; then you tell the guy to shave! Typical right wing kook I love you the way you are, if you could just change a few things………..you are a loser!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dave-Inboca/1829370356 Dave Inboca

Abrams had way too much class to stay around in a crappy organization like NBC for long.
Annie Oakley

Dan, since hope springs eternal in this old lady’s heart, I will hope to see you bring some information to ABC that it seems to currently ignore. I watched you when the Duke Lacrosse hoax story broke and you were one of the few reporters who didn’t jump on the “poor black mother of three dancer vs. overprivileged evil white boys meme.” Your reporting of FACTS was one of the few in the media at the time. Occasionally, I see Jake Tapper slip the bonds of the party line to report facts, but he’s usually brought back into line pretty quickly. Most of us really would just like to see a Jack Webb sort of take on the news, “Just the facts, ma’am, just the facts.” I hope ABC will allow you to do that.

I hope the networks will figure out why the public doesn’t watch any more. I watched NBC’s Today Show and Nightly News for forty-two years. I don’t watch any more. It isn’t just because of the internet; it’s because I can’t get information that isn’t slanted. The twenty-somethings don’t watch news on television. It’s us “old folks” who might tune in again, but only if we get real information, not a party line.
http://www.abramsresearch.com/ Dan Abrams

Thanks to all of you (well, almost all of you!) for your kind comments. I am really excited but that doesn’t mean I am going to stop reading your comments every day here at Mediaite.
mikey970

dan…we think you are the best….good luck at ABC NEWS!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Barbara-Ladden/1461382707 Barbara Ladden

Mazel Tov Dan! It will good seeing more of you… with or without the beard.
Georgia999

Hooray ! So glad to see Dan left MessNBC, he was way too good for that network.
Congratulations on the new gig at ABC.
http://www.squidoo.com/lauriebethsgrotto Laurie Beth

Congratulations! GMA and the ABC news team are all the better for it. Best wishes!
http://www.storminsmorningjava.blogspot.com/ stormin1961

Abrams to ABC, Olbermann to Current. Gee, I wonder who made the better move. CONGRATS DAN.
chicgoods4

===== http://www.chic-goods.com/ =====

===== http://www.chic-goods.com/ =====
http://www.facebook.com/mfosterjeweler Marc Foster

Dear Mr. Abrams,
I am so Happy to see that you set Nancy Grace straight on the issue of Whitney Houston’s Death. To think that Mrs Grace would tainght her very tragic death is GRAND STANDING A T LEAST! Bravo you took a stand and took her on. THE ONE THAT YELLS LUDEST DOESN’T ALWAYS WIN M Y FRIEND!
REGARDS,
MARC FOSTER
Attorney In Fact.
http://www.facebook.com/mfosterjeweler Marc Foster

Nancy needs some compassion- and leave Mr Abrams alone.