Charles Gibson
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- This article refers to the TV journalist. For other people with the same name, see Charles Gibson (disambiguation).
| Charles Gibson | |
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 Charles Gibson.
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| Born | March 9, 1943 (age 64) Evanston, Illinois |
Charles Dewolf Gibson (commonly known as Charlie Gibson when hosting Good Morning America) (born March 9, 1943), is an American journalist best known as co-anchor of Good Morning America on ABC from January 1987 to May 1998 and from January 1999 to June 28, 2006, a span of 19 years. On May 29, 2006, Gibson became the sole anchor of ABC World News Tonight, later renamed World News with Charles Gibson on July 19, 2006. He also anchors the 5 PM EST Information Network weekday newscast on ABC News Radio.
Charles Gibson began regularly anchoring ABC World News Tonight after long-time anchor Peter Jennings’ treatment for lung cancer forced him off the set in April 2005. On August 7, 2005, Gibson announced Peter Jennings' death and the following day anchored the first World News Tonight following Jennings' death. He was a leading choice to replace Jennings and was eventually offered the job. However, Gibson couldn't agree with ABC News president David Westin over how long he would stay in the chair [1]. Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff were then chosen to be Jennings' permanent replacements on December 5, 2005.
Woodruff's severe injury in Iraq on January 29, 2006 suddenly threw the new World News Tonight anchor arrangement into confusion. Vargas, with a new born child to raise, expressed the desire to go back to being anchor of the weekly newsmagazine "20/20". Some critic questioned whether she could sustain the program on her own over the longterm. Ratings were slipping. In March 2006, The New York Post's Cindy Adams reported that Gibson would become Bob Woodruff's "Temporary Permanent Replacement" on WNT. [2] 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 cut back her schedule considerably due to her upcoming maternity leave, and her wish to spend more time with her new baby. [3] During the summer of 2006, the show's title was changed to World News with Charles Gibson.
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[edit] 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 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 to law, but reconsidered when he determined his grades were not sufficient for top tier law schools. Gibson joined the RKO Radio Network in 1966 as a producer, but then switched gears and joined the Coast Guard and worked as a reporter and anchor for WLVA-TV 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.
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. On October 8, 2004, he moderated the second presidential debate between George W. Bush and John Kerry.
[edit] 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.
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.
Gibson is widely perceived as friendly and approachable, yet highly professional. In an interview on Fox News Channel, Gibson's elevation to WNT was praised by Brit Hume, anchor of the cable network's Special Report and Gibson's former colleague at ABC News.
He is the son of Nick Gibson (1914-1995) and Donna Gibson (1917-2005).
[edit] Trivia
- Gibson was identified as Charlie Gibson for Good Morning America, but is called Charles Gibson for World News, field reports, and the presidential debates.
- Gibson appears in the Disney film The Rookie anchoring World News Tonight and introduces a package about Jim Morris, the main character of the film.
- Gibson states that when it comes to cable news, he normally watches CNN Headline News to get a quick fix on news. He also watches Fox News Channel's Special Report with Brit Hume, which is anchored by former ABC News correspondent and colleague Brit Hume, for whom Gibson has tremendous respect (see [4], [5]).
- Gibson is a huge Washington Redskins and Detroit Tigers fan.
- He is not related to Mel Gibson, or Kirk Gibson.
- Gibson informed the Good Morning America audience that the entire ABC Network was to be joined for an ABC News Special Report due to the events in New York on 09/11/01. This all started as a breaking news during the last half hour of GMA that day.
[edit] External links
- ABC News Bio
- Charlie Gibson's Goodbye Speech on GMA
- Gibson Exits 'Good Morning' in Transition
- Charlie Gibson Tribute Videos
- Photos: Celebrating Charlie's 19 years
| Preceded by David Hartman and Joan Lunden |
Good Morning America co-anchor 1987–1998 with Joan Lunden from 1987 to 1997, and with Lisa McRee from 1997 to 1998 |
Succeeded by Lisa McRee and Kevin Newman |
| Preceded by Lisa McRee and Kevin Newman |
Good Morning America co-anchor January 18, 1999–June 28, 2006 with Diane Sawyer, and Robin Roberts starting in 2005 |
Succeeded by Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts |
| Preceded by Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff |
ABC World News Tonight/World News With Charles Gibson anchor May 29, 2006–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Co-Anchors of Good Morning America |
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| Hartman • Dussault • Hill • Lunden • McRee • Newman • Sawyer • Gibson • Roberts |
| Anchors of ABC Evening News/World News Tonight/World News |
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| Daly • Young • Reynolds • Smith • Reasoner • Walters • Robinson • Jennings • Woodruff • Vargas • Gibson |
