Charles Gibson has been reporting the news in one form or another for ABC for 34 years. (AP)

Considered one way, Charles Gibson’s career in TV news seems to be a model of stability: 34 years logged with one employer, ABC. There, he did his job well and rose to the top echelon of his profession, forming a firm bond with his viewers and offering his gracious signoff, “I hope you had a good day.”

On the other hand, Gibson, who Friday retires from the “World News” anchor desk and from ABC as a full-time employee, is bowing out as more than an admired network news star.

At 66, he’s a proven utility player, game to handle a range of positions and scramble to the rescue when needed.
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ABC news anchor Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer work together at the White House in June. Gibson is retiring at the end of the year.

ABC News made history Wednesday by naming Diane Sawyer as the anchor of World News Tonight. But maybe not for the reason you think.

Yes, for the first time, two women — Sawyer and CBS Evening News’ Katie Couric — will be anchoring network news programs solo.

Given Sawyer’s long, often groundbreaking career, it’s not particularly shocking that she is succeeding the retiring Charles Gibson in January, other journalists and media observers say.

But it is notable, experts say, that a 63-year-old woman is getting a visible on-air job when the TV business tends to replace veteran newscasters with younger, blonder versions of themselves.

“It’s a great day for women journalists, but for me, the story is that it’s not just another woman taking the reins but a woman in her 60s,” said Tiffany Kenney, an anchor at local ABC affiliate WPBF-Channel 25. “She continues to work in a field that has not always been kind to older women, and I fully expect her to build on what ABC News has accomplished. This is good for all of us.”

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