ABC Turns to Sawyer, Gibson

Morning Anchors Would Fill In While Bob Woodruff Recovers From Injuries

Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson in their "Good Morning America" studio. (By Richard Drew -- Associated Press)

ABC News is drafting two of its biggest stars to fill in on "World News Tonight" while Bob Woodruff recovers from the severe head injuries he suffered from a roadside bomb in Iraq.

Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson, the co-anchors of "Good Morning America," will take turns sharing the broadcast with Elizabeth Vargas for the next month or two and possibly longer, a network executive said.

The tapping of the morning anchors shows how seriously ABC executives take the period of uncertainty caused by the wounding of Woodruff, who returned to the United States yesterday and, with injured cameraman Doug Vogt, was dispatched to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. A diminution of star power could cripple "World News Tonight" in its attempt to close the gap with Brian Williams's NBC newscast and stave off a challenge from Bob Schieffer's CBS broadcast. According to Nielsen Media Research, last week NBC's "Nightly News" averaged 9.9 million viewers, ABC's newscast 8.7 million and "CBS Evening News" 7.5 million.

Under the tentative plan, Sawyer and Gibson might each co-anchor two nights a week, with Vargas flying solo one night. Sawyer and Gibson would try to maintain their schedules at "Good Morning America," which is trying to catch NBC's "Today" in the ratings, but might take off occasional mornings now that Robin Roberts has been made a co-anchor.

The plan brings Gibson back to "World News Tonight," where he and Vargas originally filled in after the illness and eventual death of Peter Jennings last year. ABC News President David Westin offered Gibson a co-anchoring role on the nightly newscast late last year, but the two men could not reach agreement when Westin refused to extend the offer beyond a two-year period. Gibson was in Washington last night to share anchor duties with Vargas at President Bush's State of the Union address.

The news division, which has been badly shaken by Woodruff's life-and-death struggle, had refused yesterday to comment on possible programming changes, with a spokesman saying the staff is totally focused on Woodruff and Vogt returning from a U.S. military hospital in Germany. Behind the scenes, however, Westin was appealing for help to Sawyer and Gibson, just as he did in 1998, when they joined a sinking "Good Morning America" for what was supposed to be a temporary stint.

ABC never seriously considered having Vargas serve as a solo anchor because it is committed to a two-anchor format, said the executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no plan has been announced. The dual-anchor concept includes a daily Webcast and one of the anchors staying on duty until 10 p.m. Eastern time for live broadcasts to the West Coast.

The two-person team also was designed to allow constant field reports by one partner while the other remained in New York. But that approach will largely be scrapped for now, except for occasional trips by Vargas, because the morning responsibilities of Sawyer and Gibson will make it impractical for them to spend much time on the road.

It is not clear how long Sawyer and Gibson would remain part of the evening news, just as it is not clear how long Woodruff will be sidelined by his injuries or whether he can return to an on-air role at all.