Categories: International

US: Pioneering News Anchor Barbara Walters Dies Aged 93

Pioneering US TV broadcaster Barbara Walters has died aged 93 after a career spanning half a century.

Eko Hot Blog reports that in 1976, she became the first US female network news anchor when she joined ABC News.

EDITOR’S PICKS

Walters – born in Boston at the outset of the Great Depression in 1929 – won 12 Emmy awards.

As well as every US president from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump, she interviewed everyone from Cuba’s Fidel Castro to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

“Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones,” said publicist Cindi Berger in a statement on Friday night.

“She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women.”

The showbusiness booking agent’s daughter began her career in journalism in 1961 with NBC, where she became a segment producer of women’s interest stories.

She rose through the ranks of the male-dominated industry to make history in 1974 by becoming the first female co-host of a US news programme, on NBC’s morning-time Today Show.

When she broke the glass ceiling again by becoming the first female network news anchor, on ABC’s evening bulletin, her unprecedented $1m salary made her a media superstar.

FURTHER READING

“I have been blessed with a life I never expected,” Walters said back in 2000 as she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Source: BBC

Click here to watch video of the week:

Haneefah

Share
Published by
Haneefah

Recent Posts

LASG Emphasizes Volunteerism for Community Development and Governance

The Lagos State Government's Office of Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement organized a one-day sensitisation…

26 minutes ago

Court Awards N15 Million in Damages Against MTN Over Unsolicited Messages

The Abuja division of the Appeal Court has ordered MTN Nigeria Communications Limited to pay…

33 minutes ago

FAAN Decongest Lagos Airport With Refurbished Terminal to Enhance Travel Experience

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has taken a significant step towards decongesting the…

46 minutes ago