Alexandra Steigrad
Embattled ABC News president Kim Godwin’s days could be numbered despite getting her contract renewed — as staffers quietly cheered her effective demotion, The Post has learned.
The Disney-owned network elevated veteran exec Debra OConnell on Wednesday to helm a new division that would encompass ABC News — putting Godwin under her — amid softening ratings at top-ranked shows “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight with David Muir.”
The move was widely cheered at ABC News headquarters on the Upper West Side, with more than one staffer overheard saying: “Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead,” as others “celebrated at the bar” and breathed a sigh of relief that the “dictatorial” culture under Godwin would soon come to an end, multiple sources told The Post on Thursday.
“The mood after the announcement was very light and happy. People are relieved,” one source said. “They feel network can get back to its glory days with Debra coming in.”
The rejoicing came despite Godwin getting a three-year extension shortly after Disney announced OConnell’s new role, which will also include oversight of ABC’s local affiliates and cable channels like FX and Disney.
“This is the beginning of the transition [of Godwin’s exit],” said one source close to the network. “Everyone gets renewed and then dumped. It’s the ABC News and Disney way.”
The source pointed to former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, whose contract was renewed months before he was ousted and Bob Iger was brought back to replace him.
“It’s called the cost of doing business,” said a former Disney exec. “Renew her. Guarantee three years of money and then let her de-select and decide it’s time to go write her leadership book, which she is planning.”
ABC News declined to comment.
OConnell, meanwhile, turned up at “Good Morning America’s” studios in Times Square before the crack of dawn — just 12 hours after news of the shakeup — to greet the staff and anchors and to send a clear message that “she is in charge,” a source told The Post.
According to the insider, Godwin was licking her wounds and had cleared her schedule for the rest of the week even before Wednesday’s stunning announcement.
She was a no-show during OConnell’s “GMA” appearance.
“Godwin rarely visits ‘GMA’ studios unless it’s for a photo-op for her Instagram page,” said one ABC insider.
“Shows like ‘GMA,’ you need someone at the top driving competition,” another source said.
“There hasn’t been a driven person at the top since Ben Sherwood and James Goldston, who were producers. They were in the control room. They were driven to compete, which makes a difference.”
An ABC source close to Godwin disputed that she cleared her schedule for the week, but had rescheduled meetings ahead of the reshuffle.
The source added that the exec is often on set and in the control room, but confirmed Godwin skipped Thursday’s powwow.
“Everyone here knows that Kim Godwin is on email at 4:30 morning, in the building working nonstop 24 hours a day and available 24/7,” the source said.
Godwin did join OConnell for an editorial meeting at 9 am at ABC News headquarters, at 47 W. 66th St., where she introduced hew new boss to staffers.
“She’s always been a champion of what we do here,” Godwin said of the 27-year Disney veteran, according to a source at the meeting. “She has deep roots at our sister station WABC and I’ve collaborated with her numerous times over the years.”
OConnell added a brief: “You guys are the best team there is,” the insider said.
Godwin’s two-and-half-year tenure at the network has been a bumpy one, filled with missteps, legal threats from laid-off staffers and softening ratings at “GMA” and “World News Tonight.”
Sources said that top brass was worried about ratings slips at the marquee morning and evening shows, which have lost some ground to rivals NBC News and CBS News.
“A drop from first place to second place can happen overnight,” said a former TV exec. “But getting back to first place may take years.”
Ratings aside, Godwin had also made a series of gaffes, including playing down the salacious affair between “GMA3” hosts TJ Holmes and Amy Robach.
Details of the affair spilled out in November 2022, but Godwin permitted the “GMA3” pair to remain on the air, causing a spectacle which led to more news stories.
As more lurid tidbits came out, Godwin benched the duo but defended them on a Dec. 5 interoffice call, saying they “had not violated company policy.”
ABC launched an internal probe soon after, as more juicy stories were leaked to the tabloids about Holmes’ other affairs at ABC. After a prolonged suspension, ABC settled with the pair to exit the company.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Other missteps included the awkward handling of Whoopi Goldberg’s suspension after she made what were construed by many to be antisemitic comments on “The View.”
She also fired 50 staffers — many of whom were well-respected and high-level — and put in place her new leadership team, which sources described as “yes-men” who did not dare to question their leader.
A source close to the situation said under Godwin, the network’s culture had “been run like a police state” with staffers fearing that they were being monitored by their boss and her deputies.
Some staffers said they were afraid of being “overheard” in the hallways and often would meet in back stairwells to talk, as a result.
A source close to ABC disputed that characterization, saying that Godwin has an open-door policy and is a collaborative leader.
“Kim has created an inclusive culture and for some people that may be different and uncomfortable,” the source said.
But staffers griped that Godwin wasn’t hands-on enough when it came to driving ratings and results.
“There hasn’t been a driven person at the top since Ben Sherwood and James Goldston, who were producers. They were in the control room. They were driven to compete, which makes a difference. Shows like ‘GMA,’ you need someone at the top driving competition,” a source said, noting that after hearing news of OConnell’s promotion Wednesday, “people were celebrating at the bar.”
“The mood after the announcement was very light and happy. People are relieved,” added another source. “They feel network can get back to its glory days with Debra coming in.”
As for Godwin, the exec is publicly putting on airs that she’s in charge with many staffers calling her memo announcing the changes “Nixonian.”
The long-winded memo, which was obtained by The Post, leads with her announcing she’s staying on as president of ABC News, and buries the news that OConnell will lead the news division.
Employees are already anticipating a clash between the two execs, with one insider noting: “The floodgates are going to open. Anything that is important is going to run through Debra. No agent, no talent is going to go through Kim, not if it’s important.”
With contributions from Carlos Greer
This post was originally posted by New York Post
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