Even George Stephanopoulos Can’t Deny David Muir’s ‘World News Tonight’ Ratings Turnaround

ABC News veteran George Stephanopoulos may be upset to relinquish the throne for breaking news to evening anchor David Muir, but even Stephanopoulos can’t deny the ratings turnaround that Muir has provided for ABC’s “World News Tonight.” Muir became “World News Tonight” anchor on Sept. 1, 2014. The season prior, when Diane Sawyer was still in the chair, the show trailed Brian Williams’ “NBC Nightly News” by 1.2 million total viewers per evening, according to Nielsen. Fast-forward to this current season, and Muir is presently leading Lester Holt’s “NBC Nightly News” by 1.6 million viewers per night. That’s not just a lead change, it is a swing of 2.8 million total viewers. No wonder ABC News just tapped the 47-year-old Muir to head up its breaking news duties, effectively replacing 60-year-old Stephanopoulos in the role. (It helps that he has consistently ranked as the most-liked TV media personality, according to Q Scores.) Also Read: David Muir Clash With George Stephanopoulos Led to ABC News Chief Ouster (Exclusive) Currently, “World News Tonight” is leading its fifth season in a row in terms of total viewers, and is ahead by the largest margin in 26 years. The program is No. 1 in...

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