Christiane Amanpour is stepping down as anchor of This
Week at the end of the year, she announced in a statement Tuesday. She will
host multiple primetime specials for ABC News and become a global affairs
anchor for the network as well as launch a new weekday show on CNN
International through a unique arrangement between the two networks.
George Stephanopoulos, who anchored This Week from
2002-09, will again become host of the program starting Jan. 8 while remaining
anchor of Good Morning America. Jake Tapper, ABC News' senior White
House correspondent will contribute to the program weekly and guest-host for
Stephanopoulos as needed.
An ABC News spokesperson said Tuesday that This Week
"will remain a Washington-based" program though GMA is based in New
York.
"Christiane has had an absolutely remarkable year for ABC
News with world-beating exclusives and we're looking forward to seeing her back
out in the field with her unique brand of storytelling," said ABC News
President Ben Sherwood in a statement.
Amanpour joined ABC from CNN in 2010 to host the Sunday
morning public affairs show, but remained interested in foreign reporting (she
was chief international correspondent at CNN). She was the face of much of ABC
News' coverage from the protests in the Middle East during this year's Arab
Spring, including landing an exclusive interview with former Egyptian president
Hosni Mubarak.
CNN for its part has been increasing its focus on international
news under the tenure of Ken Jautz (a former international correspondent
himself), with managing editor Mark Whitaker saying at a recent CNN
International taping that while the network can compete in politics and
business news, "we can own international coverage."
"Christiane Amanpour has been synonymous with
international reporting and with CNN for many years," said Jim Walton, CNN
Worldwide president. "We could not be happier that through this
unique arrangement with ABC News her experience and global perspective are
returning to a nightly news broadcast for our international audience."
The New York Post
first reported the story.
Full statement from Amanpour below:
This is an exciting and unique opportunity for me to
take my love of storytelling to primetime at ABC News with multiple specials,
as well as becoming a roving Global Affairs anchor across all ABC platforms.
I am looking forward to getting back into the field to
report stories on global issues that matter greatly to the American
people. At the same time, I will be broadcasting once again to millions
of people across the world with a weekday show on CNN International.


This role is groundbreaking, bold and very different!
I am thrilled and honored.


It's been an incredible experience to have had a
ringside seat to democracy in action at This Week. It's been an
incredible honor to anchor such a prestigious program and I thank all of you
who have helped me on that journey.
