Martha Raddatz to Co-Anchor This Week with George Stephanopoulos


fourth estate newABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos is scaling back his involvement with This Week even further as he will now trade off hosting each week with global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz. Raddatz was already the primary substitute anchor and typically anchored at least once a month. Raddatz is now officially the co-anchor, although the program will continue to only bear Stephanopoulos’s name.

Stephanopoulos is currently on-air six days a week between This Week and Good Morning America. However, this arrangement is now increasingly common. CNN’s Jake Tapper and NBC’s Chuck Todd both anchor their network’s respective Sunday programs and a weekday program. Stephanopoulos also serves as chief anchor for ABC News, anchoring special and breaking news coverage.

Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl will now serve as primary substitute anchor.

Of Raddatz, ABC News President James Goldston wrote in a memo to staff, “She is relentless and fearless in her drive to be as close to the story as possible. She’ll continue to report from the front lines to help our audience better understand the world.”

Read Goldston’s full memo:

Team—

I’m pleased to announce that Martha Raddatz has been named co-anchor of This Week with George Stephanopoulos. Over the past several years the show has risen to great new heights with George, our chief anchor, at the helm, and with Martha playing a key role in anchoring and reporting for the program from Washington and from around the globe.

With the help of the entire This Week team, the program has become an unrivaled destination for smart, thorough and thought-provoking political and policy television. Our viewers agree – our exceptional team is ranked number 1 in the A25-54 demo at this point of the season for the first time in 22 years.

George and Martha, who will continue to anchor alternate weekends, have successfully redefined Sunday mornings, often taking the show outside the studio. Just last weekend George was on the campaign trail with Donald Trump in New Hampshire plus interviewed Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders. Martha has anchored live from around the world, bringing our viewers invaluable reporting from the front lines in Al Anbar province to the USS George H.W. Bush as fighter jets streaked off to deliver their pay loads, to the streets of Iran when the nuclear deal was announced.

Martha has proved equally fearless at taking on presidential candidates, including Senator Sanders, Dr. Ben Carson, and Donald Trump and memorably moderating several debates.

As our chief Global Affairs Correspondent, Martha has made dozens of trips to Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan; she was the only television reporter to fly in a combat mission over Afghanistan in an F15 fighter jet; and she was the first television reporter allowed inside an undisclosed location in the Middle East where the U.S.-led coalition is coordinating the fight against ISIS.

When something happens in the world, Martha’s first instinct is to get there. She is relentless and fearless in her drive to be as close to the story as possible. She’ll continue to report from the front lines to help our audience better understand the world.

Our Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl will be the primary substitute for George and Martha on This Week as he helps lead the charge in our 2016 election coverage. It’s been one of the most fascinating campaigns in memory so far, and we are only just getting started. George, Martha, Jon, and Jonathan and the This Week team will play a vital role to help our viewers assess the candidates at every point between now and Election Day.

Please join me in congratulating Martha on her new role.

James


About Tyler

Tyler is the chief media reporter for TKNN, with the news organization since its founding in November of 2010. He has previously served as chief political reporter and chief political anchor for TKNN.

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