ABC News President Kim Godwin informed staff members on Monday that anchors Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes would be removed from their positions at “GMA3” while the news division evaluates the impact their recent declaration of a romantic connection could have on the program as well as the company.
According to a person familiar with the situation, Godwin told ABC News employees during an editorial call on Monday that Robach and Holmes had not violated any company policy. However, Godwin indicated that ABC News felt the matter had become “an internal and external disruption,” and “wanted to do what’s best for the organization.”
Executives from ABC News were not made available for comment, as the network stated. According to this person, Gio Benitez and Stephanie Ramos will co-host the broadcast on Monday. However, it is not clear at this time how the program will be staffed for the remainder of the week or when Robach and Holmes would return to the show.
Even though the vast majority of people who were not involved in the situation believed that both of the anchors were still in marital relationships, the fact that they had been romantically involved for some time led to the pair receiving a great deal of unwanted attention after it was revealed a week ago that they had been involved romantically for some time. Since the information became public, the couple has been the subject of numerous articles in tabloids, and viewers have been paying close attention to every word either of them says on camera to determine whether or not they are alluding to the fact that they are a relationship.
There is just cause for concern on the part of ABC News and its parent company, Walt Disney. One of the highlights of the daytime programming for the network has been the addition of the popular “Good Morning America” extension show “GMA3,” which airs in the afternoons. According to ad-tracking company Kantar, the program brought in over $43.4 million in advertising revenue in 2021, which is an increase of 26.1% when compared to the approximately $34.4 million it brought in the year before. Only a few days ago, ABC News was bragging about the rating performance of “GMA3” and comparing it to the competition, including CBS’s “The Talk” and NBC News’ “NBC News Daily.”
The week before last, it appeared as though the corporation would have no problems placing Robach and Holmes on TV. On Friday, the two of them continued their customary role as hosts of the afternoon showcase by delivering news and engaging in banter.
Michael Strahan and Sara Haines served as hosts for the first season of “GMA3,” which was initially conceived as a platform for less serious celebrity news and conversation. The plan was straightforward: broaden the audience for “Good Morning America,” which would need fewer resources than the production of other types of original daytime programming, and provide new roosts for advertisers who placed their trust in the dependability of the news brand. But the first idea failed to catch on, and when the coronavirus pandemic struck, the executives decided to pivot the show more toward news coverage. They recruited Robach, a seasoned broadcaster who has worked on “Good Morning America” and “20/20,” as well as Dr. Jennifer Ashton, a medical correspondent. Now, each hour of “GMA3” is transformed into a program that features parts centered on entertainment and motivation in addition to the most recent news stories.
Other networks have experienced the challenge of dealing with on-air relationships that develop into something more meaningful. During their stint as co-anchors of “Morning Joe” on MSNBC, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski pretended not to be romantically involved for quite some time. However, the two eventually tied the knot.
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