Barbara Walters Final TV Appearance Announced

TIME's 2009 Person of the Year

After decades of accomplishments on-screen and just a year after she announced her departure from daily television, Barbara Walters is finally saying goodbye to TV altogether.

“In this business there are legends, there are icons, and then there is Barbara Walters,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive of The Walt Disney Company . “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.”

In 1976, Walters joined the network, and became the first female anchor on an evening news program. Three years later, she became a co-host of “20/20,” and in 1997, she launched The View.

Walters joined the network in 1976, becoming the first female anchor on an evening news program. Three years later, she became a co-host of  the show “20/20,” and in 1997, she launched ABC’s “The View.”

After noticing the last year, she told ABC News that she was excited “to find out if there’s something I can do besides television.”

“I did not sleep last night,” she said at the time. “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!'”

Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Time Inc

 

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