Broadcaster Barbara Walters, Creator Of The View Dead At 93

The legendary broadcaster has passed away.

Barbara Walters, a pioneering journalist, who made headlines moving from NBC’s TODAY show to ABC’s news division, has died. Known for co-creating The View and hosting 20/20, she was 93 years old.

In Memoriam: Barbara Walters

ABC reported the news of Walters’s passing on twitter. “Barbara Walters, who shattered the glass ceiling and became a dominant force in an industry once dominated by men, has died. She was 93,” ABC News tweeted. At press time, no cause of death had been reported.

Walters, a Boston native and Sarah Lawrence graduate with a degree in English, was born on September 25, 1929. She started out writing press releases for the NBC affiliate in New York City. However, Walters was destined to work as an actor. She was hired as a producer for the 15-minute children’s show Ask the Camera in 1953. She changed networks, joining the Eye network (CBS), and started contributing to The Morning Show.

Walters returned to NBC in the early 1960s to work as a writer and researcher for The TODAY Show. She started appearing on camera after becoming a “Today Girl.” Following the passing of Frank McGee in 1974, Walters was appointed as a co-host of the well-known morning news program. Additionally, Walters served as the host of the NBC affiliate’s Not for Woman Only program.

Live From New York…It’s Baba Wawa

The late comedy actress Gilda Radner parodied Walters on Saturday Night Live as the interviewer “Baba Wawa,” emphasizing her pronunciation of the “rs” and “ls” that Walters herself was known for. In order to co-anchor the ABC Evening News with Harry Reasoner from 1976 to 1978, Walters made news by leaving CBS.

Walters rose to fame for her on-air interviews with famous people on ABC programs like 20/20 with Hugh Downs, which she joined in 1979. Her roster of interviewees includes a veritable “Who’s Who” of political and entertainment figures. She famously interviewed Katharine Hepburn and asked her if she were a tree, what kind of tree would she be? As a matter of fact, the Academy Award-winning actress retorted, “An oak!”

Barbara Walters Created The View

The View was created by Walters, and it premiered in 1997. Meredith Vieira, Star Jones, and Debbie Matenopoulos were among the cast members of the premiere. On days when Walters wasn’t available or was preoccupied with work for ABC News, Joy Behar, who is still a part of the show today, filled in. Rosie O’Donnell, Whoopi Goldberg, and Elizabeth Hasselbeck were added to the panel over the course of Walters’ tenure as host, along with numerous other changes. In 2014, Walters stepped down from her role as an on-air host. (She still holds the position of executive producer.)

Melissa Claire Egan, who plays Chelsea Lawson on The Young and the Restless, recalled anchoring The View with Walters when she was playing Annie Novak on All My Children. Egan wrote on Instagram, “I’m so sad to hear of the passing of the amazing Barbara Walters. “Co-hosting The View with her and having her ask me “what I’m looking for” in a man” was one of my greatest privileges, she said. She was a legend and an icon, and I’m honored to have shaken her hand. Let her memory be eternal.

Sonny Corinthos from General Hospital, Maurice Benard, released a footage of his 2005 appearance on The View when he talked about the birth of his son Joshua, who was born in December 2004. I recall thinking that she was amazing. The actor had shown the panel pictures of his family, and Walters disclosed that his daughters had been present when his son was born, making it a truly family event.

Over the course of her career, Walters won various accolades. She received the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. She made an appearance in a Weekend Update segment shortly after she announced her retirement in 2014, going back to her NBC roots. Sincere condolences from Soap Hub are sent to Walters’ family, friends, and coworkers during this trying time.

I remember this she was incredible❤️‍🩹 https://t.co/O7KmsfHIqM
— Maurice Benard (@MauriceBenard) December 31, 2022

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A post shared by Melissa Claire Egan (@missyclaireegan)

BREAKING: Barbara Walters, who shattered the glass ceiling and became a dominant force in an industry once dominated by men, has died. She was 93. https://t.co/tydwREgTb2 pic.twitter.com/b4jOEHVYFE
— ABC News (@ABC) December 31, 2022