Barbara Walters sets May 16 for exit... as ABC announce they will name their New York headquarters after her
Barbara Walters plans to make her final appearance on The View on May 16, part of a daylong retirement celebration that will include ABC News naming its New York headquarters after her.
Later that night, ABC will air a two-hour prime-time special on her career. Walters, who is 84, began in television in 1961 and became the medium's best-known interviewer. She announced last year that she will retire from regular TV appearances.
Walters will remain involved behind the scenes as an executive producer at The View, the daytime talk show she invented.
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Time to say goodbye: Babara Walters (second from right) will make her last appearance on The View on May 16, here she is with (L-R) Sunny Hostin, Whoopi Goldberg, Barbara Walters and Gerald Schwartzbach
ABC said Monday that Walters will also be a lifelong member of the ABC News team, and will make special appearances as news warrants.
'In this business there are legends, there are icons, and then there is Barbara Walters,' Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive of The Walt Disney Company said.
'She’s a dear friend and colleague as well as someone I deeply admire, and it’s impossible to fully convey her impact and influence on television.
'She broke barriers, defied convention, made history and set the standard for journalistic excellence for more than 50 years. It’s hard to imagine television without her.'
A legend bids farewell: Barbara is bowing out, but she'll be getting her due fanfare
'[I'm excited] to find out if there’s something I can do besides television,' Barbara told ABC News.
'I did not sleep last night. I thought, "Am I doing it now? Should I do it later?" But then I thought it was better to go when people are saying, "Why is she leaving?" than, "Thank goodness she’s leaving!"'
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