The first Black woman to run a broadcast news division, Ms. Godwin had a rocky tenure defined by infighting and damaging leaks.
Kim Godwin, the president of ABC News, told employees on Sunday night that she was leaving the network, capping a tumultuous three-year tenure.
In an email to employees, Ms. Godwin said that she reached her decision to depart after a period of “considerable reflection.”
“Anyone who’s passionate about what we do knows there’s no other business like it, so this was not an easy or quick decision,” Ms. Godwin said in her note. “I’m certain it’s the right one for me as I look to the future and prioritize what’s most important for me and my family,” she added.
Ms. Godwin, the first Black woman to run a broadcast news division, told employees she was planning on leaving broadcast journalism altogether.
Her departure comes at a delicate moment, as ABC faces a competitive election, a chaotic news cycle as well as an increasingly difficult economic landscape for broadcast news divisions throughout the industry.
Ms. Godwin’s leadership role had been imperiled for some time. Nearly three months ago, Disney, ABC’s parent company, effectively demoted her by tapping a company veteran, Debra OConnell, to oversee a new division that included all of ABC News as well as local stations.
