Charles Gibson

Charles Gibson
Gibson in 2008
Born
Charles deWolf Gibson

(1943-03-09) March 9, 1943 (age 83)
Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
EducationPrinceton University
OccupationTelevision journalist
Years active
  • 1965–2016
  • 2022–present
Notable credits
SpouseArlene Gibson
Children2

Charles deWolf Gibson (born March 9, 1943) is an American broadcast television anchor, journalist, and podcaster. Gibson was a host of Good Morning America from 1987 to 1998 and again from 1999 to 2006, and the anchor of ABC World News from 2006 to 2009.

In 1965, Gibson worked as the news director for Princeton University's student-run radio station, a radio producer for RKO, and a reporter for local television stations. In 1975, he joined ABC News, where he worked as a general assignment reporter and a correspondent from Washington, D.C.

Early life and education

Gibson was born on March 9, 1943, in Evanston, Illinois, to Georgianna Law and Burdett Gibson, and is a great-nephew of graphic artist Charles Dana Gibson. He grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended the Sidwell Friends School, a private college-preparatory school in Washington.

In 1965, Gibson graduated with an A.B. in history from Princeton University, where he was News Director for WPRB-FM, the university radio station, and a member of Princeton Tower Club. Gibson completed a senior thesis titled "The Land and Capital Problems of Pre-Famine Ireland." In 1966, he served in the United States Coast Guard.

Career

Early career

Gibson joined RKO General in 1966 as a producer and later worked as a reporter and anchor for WLVA (now WSET) television in Lynchburg, Virginia. In 1970, he moved to WMAL-TV (now WJLA) television, the ABC network affiliate in Washington, D.C. Gibson joined the syndicated news service Television News Inc. (TVN) in 1974. For TVN, he covered the Watergate scandal investigations and the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

ABC News

Field correspondent

Gibson joined ABC News in 1975, where he worked as its White House correspondent from 1976 to 1977, a general assignment reporter from 1977 to 1981, and House of Representatives correspondent from 1981 to 1987. Gibson was a correspondent and stand-in anchor for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, anchored World News Saturday and substitute anchor on the late-night hard and soft news program Nightline and World News This Morning.

Good Morning America

Gibson interviewing First Lady Laura Bush on GMA in 2004

On February 23, 1987, Gibson first became a co-anchor of Good Morning America, alongside Joan Lunden. From 1985 to 1995, Good Morning America was the most-watched morning show on American television.

Gibson hosted and narrated the Maryland Public Television documentary Lucky Number, a program about problem gambling, in 1990.

During the 1992 presidential campaign, Vice President Dan Quayle criticized Ross Perot over remarks Perot had made during an interview with Gibson on Good Morning America concerning the United States Constitution. In June 1992, Gibson interviewed Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton and pressed him to identify his running mate.

On May 1, 1998, Gibson left Good Morning America and was replaced by Kevin Newman. ABC reinstated Gibson on January 18, 1999, with Diane Sawyer as co-anchor. He remained with the program until June 28, 2006, when he left to become anchor of World News Tonight.

During the September 11 attacks, Gibson and Sawyer were anchoring Good Morning America. After the second plane struck the South Tower, Gibson recognized that the United States was under attack.

During the 2004 U.S. presidential-election campaign, Gibson moderated the second presidential debate in St. Louis, Missouri, between the two nominee candidates – Republican incumbent President George W. Bush and Democratic U.S. Senator John Kerry. That debate took place on October 8, 2004.

World News with Charles Gibson

Gibson interviews Republican former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson during Thompson's unsuccessful campaign for the Republican Party's 2008 U.S. presidential nomination, September 25, 2007.

In 2005, Gibson was among the substitute anchors for World News Tonight while Peter Jennings underwent treatment for lung cancer. Following Jennings's death on August 7, 2005, Gibson anchored World News Tonight the following evening. Gibson was considered a leading candidate to succeed Jennings, but ABC selected Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff as co-anchors of World News Tonight, beginning January 2, 2006. Following Woodruff's injury in Iraq, ABC News again considered Gibson for the position. On May 23, 2006, ABC News announced that Gibson would become the program's sole anchor following Vargas's departure.

President Barack Obama with Gibson in the East Room of the White House during ABC News's Prescription for America "town-hall"-style conversation on health care, June 24, 2009.

During the summer of 2006, the program's title was changed to World News with Charles Gibson. According to The New York Times, he had previously planned to retire from ABC News on June 22, 2007, but changed his mind.

During the 2008 U.S. presidential-election campaign, Gibson was a co-moderator with George Stephanopoulos, another ABC News journalist, for the April 16, 2008, Democratic Party's presidential-election debate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, between U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama; it was broadcast exclusively by ABC News. Both moderators were later criticized in The Washington Post and other media outlets for their selection of insubstantial, "gotcha"-style questions. Stephanopoulos acknowledged the legitimacy of the concerns over the order of the questions, but said they were regarding issues in the campaign that had not been covered in previous debates. ABC had sought out a woman who opposed Obama and aired a video of her asking a trivial question, repeated by Stephanopolous, about why Obama was not wearing a flag pin. The question brought widespread criticism from the media. He moderated both the Republican and the Democratic ABC, Facebook debates at Saint Anselm College on January 5, 2008.

On September 11, 2008, Gibson interviewed Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee candidate, her first interview after being named as presidential nominee John McCain's running mate. The interview received criticism from some political commentators, specifically surrounding Gibson's question regarding the term "Bush Doctrine" due to its having a variety of differing meanings.

During Gibson's tenure, World News was a solid competitor and sporadically beat NBC Nightly News, anchored by Brian Williams, in the program ratings during 2007, the first time in several years, and the ABC program became much more distant second place after he retired. The two programs have taken turns at the top of the ratings among household viewers and the 25–54 age group prized by advertisers. Katie Couric's CBS Evening News remained a distant third. During his last few months as anchor, Gibson also worked on a special documentary about the oil industry entitled Over a Barrel: The Truth About Oil, which was a critical and ratings success and earned him several awards.

According to reports, while ABC tried to persuade Gibson to stay on as anchor, he decided to retire. On September 2, 2009, ABC News announced that Diane Sawyer would replace Gibson as the World News anchor following his retirement from ABC News. Gibson anchored his final edition of World News on December 18, 2009.

Later work

In December 2010, Gibson participated as a speaker on Voices in Leadership, an original Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health webcast series, in a discussion titled, "Lessons Learned as an ABC News Anchor," moderated by Dr. Robert Blendon.

In 2016, he appears as a news anchor in season 4 of the Netflix original series House of Cards.

During ABC News' live presidential election coverage on November 8, 2016, Gibson appeared as a contributor.

On May 2, 2022, Gibson returned to ABC where he hosted a podcast for ABC Audio with his daughter Kate. The podcast, titled The Bookcase, was designed to feature authors, book industry insiders and local independent bookstores. The first episode featured Oprah Winfrey who discussed the impact of her bookclub, how she picks her choices and her own reading habits. The two regularly make appearances on Good Morning America to update readers on the book world.

Awards and honors

In 1973, the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded him a National Journalism Fellowship. The Radio Television Digital News Association awarded Gibson the Paul White Award in 2006, and in 2008 Quinnipiac University awarded him the Fred Friendly First Amendment Award.

Personal life

Gibson's wife, Arlene Gibson, is an educator who retired in 2006 as head of school at The Spence School in New York City. She has also held positions at other schools in New York City and New Jersey, and was previously the head of the middle school at the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore, Maryland, in the 1980s. She is on the board of trustees at her alma mater, Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

They have two daughters, Jessica and Katherine. On March 14, 2006, Jessica gave birth to Gibson's first grandchild.

Gibson has resided with his family in Summit, New Jersey.

Beginning in 2006, Gibson was a member of the board of trustees of Princeton University, until his term expired in 2015.

On May 28, 1989, Gibson delivered the commencement address at Vassar College. On May 17, 2006, Gibson delivered the commencement address at Monmouth University's class of 2006's graduation ceremony held at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel Township, New Jersey. He was also presented with a doctor of humane letters, an honorary degree.

On June 17, 2007, Gibson delivered the commencement address to the class of 2007's graduation ceremony at Union College in Schenectady, New York. Gibson also received an honorary doctor of humane letters, as well as a framed copy of his father's 1923 college yearbook entry. His father, Burdett Gibson, grew up in Schenectady and graduated from the college in 1923. Gibson contributed an estimated US$75,000 to the college to help create the Burdett Gibson Class of 1923 Scholarship, which is awarded annually to a deserving student in need.

Career timeline

References

  1. ↑ "Charles Gibson". IMDb. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Charles Gibson". ABC News. September 10, 2008. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
  3. ↑ Gibson, Charles DeWolf. Princeton University. Department of History (ed.). The Land and Capital Problems of Pre-Famine Ireland (Thesis).
  4. ↑ Mancini, Saverio. "Arnold Palmer, Charlie Gibson, J.D. Power III, John Amos Join National Coast Guard Museum Association", Patch, February 4, 1914. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  5. ↑ Mifflin, Lawrie (September 21, 1998). "A Hit From the 70's Is Fading in the 90's". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
  6. ↑ O'Connor, John J. (June 29, 1990). "The Urge to Gamble, and How to Fight It". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
  7. ↑ Rosenthal, Andrew (June 13, 1992). "Quayle Says Perot Displays Contempt for Constitution". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
  8. ↑ Ayres, B. Drummond Jr. (June 29, 1992). "Clinton Enjoying Mystery Over Choice for Ticket". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
  9. ↑ Mifflin, Lawrie (March 24, 1998). "'Good Morning' Names 2d New Anchor". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
  10. ↑ Mifflin, Lawrie (January 5, 1999). "Old Anchors Seek to Rescue ABC Mornings". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Good Evening America". www.cbsnews.com. June 28, 2006. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  12. ↑ "TV anchors on 9/11 tell Marvin Kalb their personal stories". National Press Club. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  13. ↑ Bennet, James (October 9, 2004). "In a Disguised Gym, Softballs and Political Drama". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
  14. ↑ Gold, Matea (April 11, 2005). "More than an anchor; a rudder". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 2, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Transcripts". Transcripts CNN. August 5, 2005. Retrieved September 2, 2026.
  16. ↑ Steinberg, Jacques (February 4, 2006). "Changes at ABC, Where the War Is More Than News". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Charles Gibson Named Sole Anchor of 'World News Tonight' – Elizabeth Vargas to Step Down to Take Maternity Leave and Return to Co-Anchor '20/20' and Anchor ABC News Specials in the Fall". ABC News. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original on March 6, 2009. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  18. ↑ Steinberg, Jacques (May 17, 2007). "Charles Gibson Enjoys a Second Wind on ABC". The New York Times. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  19. ↑ Abcarian, Robin (April 17, 2008). "Stephanopoulos Defends His Questions to Obama". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
  20. ↑ "Ratings, Criticism Big for ABC Debate – Gibson, Stephanopoulos Draw Fire for 'Shoddy' Work". The Associated Press (via NBC News). April 17, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  21. ↑ Performance By ABC's Moderators Is a Matter Of Debate, The Washington Post, Howard Kurtz, April 18, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  22. ↑ ABC DEFENDS THE OBAMA FLAG-PIN QUESTION, Vanity Fair, Christopher Bateman, April 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  23. ↑ Shales, Tom (April 17, 2008). "In Pa. Debate, The Clear Loser Is ABC". The Washington Post. p. C01. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  24. ↑ "Ratings, Criticism Big for ABC Debate – Gibson, Stephanopoulos Draw Fire for 'Shoddy' Work". NBC News. The Associated Press. April 17, 2008. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  25. ↑ TRANSCRIPT: ABC News/Facebook/WMUR Democratic Debate – ABC News
  26. ↑ Krauthammer, Charles. "Charlie Gibson's Gaffe". The Washington Post.
  27. ↑ "Sarah Palin vs. Charles Gibson". Fox News. September 15, 2008. Archived from the original on February 2, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  28. ↑ "Diane Sawyer Taking over World from Charlie Gibson". September 2, 2009.
  29. ↑ ""World News with Charles Gibson" Posts Best Total Viewer & Demo Deliveries in More Than 8 Months". ABC News (Press release). November 18, 2009.
  30. ↑ "Charles Gibson's Last Day At Work". CBS News. Associated Press. December 18, 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
  31. ↑ Carter, Bill; Stelter, Brian (September 3, 2009). "At ABC, an Anchor Shift; for TV, an Image Shift". The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
  32. ↑ "Diane Sawyer replacing Charlie Gibson on 'World News'". CNN. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  33. ↑ "Charlie Gibson on Lessons Learned as an ABC News Anchor". Archived from the original on December 26, 2015.
  34. ↑ Chaney, Jen (March 6, 2016). "'House of Cards' Season 4, Episode 4: Well That Was Surprising". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  35. ↑ "Election 2016: Find Out How TV Networks Are Covering This Historic Night". People. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Former 'GMA' and 'World News' Anchor Charlie Gibson Returning to ABC News … as a Podcast Host (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. April 28, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Paul White Award". Radio Television Digital News Association. Archived from the original on February 25, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  38. ↑ "Arlene Joy Gibson Financial Aid Endowment Fund". The Spence School. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008.
  39. ↑ 2005–2006 Bulletin – The Spence School (PDF). The Spence School. PDF format (3.6Mb). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 30, 2008. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  40. ↑ "Presidential Search Committee Begins to Form". Bryn Mawr Now. Bryn Mawr College. February 22, 2007. Archived from the original on April 8, 2009. Retrieved September 2, 2009. (Online-only newsweekly published by the college's Public Affairs department.)
  41. ↑ "Charles Gibson – Co-Anchor, ABCNews' Good Morning America". ABC News. November 14, 2005. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  42. ↑ Silverman, Stephen M. (March 15, 2006). "GMA Host Charles Gibson a Granddad". People. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  43. ↑ Lawler, Sylvia. "CHARLES GIBSON PERFECTLY HAPPY AS 'GMA' EQUAL", The Morning Call, August 30, 1987. Accessed February 17, 2011. ""Charlie, his wife Arlene, and their two daughters, had just spent their first night in a new home in Summit, N.J., where Mrs. Gibson is headmistress of a girls school before he headed out west to talk to the press."
  44. ↑ Stevens, Ruth (June 14, 2006). "Eight Named to Board of Trustees". Princeton University. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  45. ↑ "Board of Trustees, 2011–12". Princeton University. February 13, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  46. ↑ "Commencements; Vassar College". The New York Times. May 30, 1989. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
  47. ↑ Denman, Elliott (Spring 2006). "Stepping into the Future" (PDF). Monmouth University Magazine. XXVI (2): 10. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
  48. ↑ "Charles Gibson Speaks at Union College Commencement". News 10 Now. June 17, 2007. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  49. ↑ "ABC's Gibson Establishes Scholarship". USA Today. The Associated Press. June 17, 2007. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  50. ↑ "Text of President Stephen Ainlay's Remarks". The Chronicle. June 17, 2007. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  51. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Charles Gibson – Anchor 'World News Tonight'". ABC News. September 10, 2008. Retrieved September 3, 2009.