Almin Karamehmedovic named president of ABC News
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Almin Karamehmedovic, a longtime top producer at ABC News, has been named president of the network's news division Monday. He replaces Kim Godwin, who stepped down in May.
Why it matters: Elevating a longtime leader from within the division helps to ensure cultural continuity and steadiness at a time of great change for ABC News and the TV news industry writ large.
Catch up quick: Karamehmedovic has been with ABC News since 1998 in a variety of field and show production roles.
- Most recently, he served as senior executive producer of one of ABC News' most successful franchises, "World News Tonight" with anchor David Muir. Karamehmedovic has overseen all production and daily operations of for the program since August 2014.
- Karamehmedovic is the recipient of 16 Emmys®, nine Edward R. Murrow Awards, two Christopher Awards, a Peabody Award and the prestigious DuPont Award, honoring excellence in broadcast and digital journalism.
Details: Karamehmedovic will report to Debra OConnell, who was named president of a newly-created division within Disney that oversees ABC's news group and local networks in February.
- He will oversee the day-to-day operations of ABC News, and will lead the teams responsible for ABC's news shows, including "World News Tonight with David Muir," "Good Morning America," "The View," "20/20" and "Nightline."
- He will also oversee the network's streaming division, ABC News Live, as well as ABC News Studios and special events coverage.
- In a note to staff obtained by Axios, OConnell said Karamehmedovic will work closely with ABC's owned television stations President Chad Matthews "so that the combined resources of our ABC Owned Television Stations and ABC News are utilized to their full potential in service to our audiences."
Zoom out: Karamehmedovic's promotion comes less than a month before ABC is slated to host the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
- ABC has been without a news division leader since May, when Godwin resigned following reports that ABC News staffers lost confidence in her leadership.
- While her ouster relieved some of that tension, the network has been forced to manage a chaotic election cycle without a permanent news division head.
The big picture: There's been more volatility in recent years among news chiefs as the TV news industry faces pressure from streaming.
- CBS News President Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews stepped down on July 10th after less than a year in the role and ahead of an anticipated merger between CBS parent Paramount Global and Skydance Media.
- Veteran CNN executive Sam Feist left the network, where he led the Washington bureau, in May to become the CEO of C-SPAN.
Go deeper: News stars pivot as TV networks cut back
