Baba Wawa
 

The end of an era:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._abc_walters_6

She's leaving 20/20.

I like the woman, but she still hasn't lived down the tree question or the late Gilda Radner's bit.

Best of luck, Barbara.

- Jake

Can't blame her for leaving...times, they are a changing. When Courtney Cox and her clown husband score higher ratings than Castro, that's cause for concern.

I wonder how much of it is due to age & a desire to spend some more time with family, though. I mean, if she were really looking to pursue world leaders for her pieces, she might reconsider the whole Oscar thing, you know?

- Jake

I think she started out as a serious journalist but eventually developed into more of an entertainment journalist. Jessica Savitch? She was a real journalist, IMO. She was reporting, writing, anchoring, producing, etc. That woman was CRAZY and dedicated to her job.

I think Baba was pushed more towards entertainment because it was obviously where the ratings were as time progressed. Plus, she grew up around that whole scene (her father owned nightclubs in Boston) and I guess felt an affinity for it.

It's not hard news...it's fluff and fluff is what the American public wants to see. She's done some excellent pieces on 20/20 but not so much in recent years. So, she's been around a long time....asking the same questions to different celebrities. That has to be boring. You'd have to get tired of that.

She's still a producer and a host for the View which is a pretty much full time gig but since she is the producer, I'm certain she can come and go as she pleases. And she'll still get to interview her celebrities...including the Oscar nominees AND talk about hot topics...lol

Goodbye, Baba :wavey: lol

This has been in the works since she started publicly criticizing ABC News, its practices, and its pathetic television offerings. They went in the press and said she had no right to make the comments she made (she said that ABC has become very disingenuous and quite fluffy, that they haven't pursued real news for years) and quickly started giving her the fluff and most of the goods to Sawyer.

20/20 has become unwatchable (especially with Stossel), but it will be canned once Walters leaves. :nod:

Awww c'mon! Give him a break! I like John Stossel...lol. And I like Diane Sawyer better than Baba...and i'm sure the network does too :nod:

I like Diane on GMA, but she's too much of a softy in interviews.

But. She. Is. A. Bombshell.

Especially for her age!!!!

I agree. The other night it was so agenda loaded, it was horrible. They need to find someone else to do this show or it's going to the dumper. ABC is so desperate for ratings, it's brining back Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

And doing tons of blow. :)

Yep. Her personal life wasn't so good...it's a shame her life ended like it did.

Linda Ellerbee's first book talks about having to compete with the image of perfection that Jessica had presented, and it was written before Jessica's death or the publicity about her personal problems. Interesting perspective, especially now that the full story is out. I'm sure Linda knew it back then.

I remember living in Philly when news of the death hit the airwaves. You'd have thought the president had died.

- Jake

I'll have to check out her book. I've read everything humanly possible on Jessica Savitch. Even though she presented a false persona to the world, she was still one hell of a journalist...I admire her a great deal. She was really a pioneer for female journalists and it's a shame she never got to see that. What a stupid way to die...and it wasn't even the drugs that killed her.... it was a rainy night in New Hope.