ABC News Names Longtime Producer Karamehmedovic Head of Network News

NEW YORK (AP) — Veteran producer Almin Karamehmedovic, who has been a top behind-the-scenes executive at “World News Tonight” since 2014, has been named president of ABC News, the network announced Monday.

She replaces Kim Godwin, who retired after three years in May.

Godwin struggled with internal conflict, in part because she was an outsider: she came to ABC News from an executive position at CBS. Karamehmedovic, on the other hand, had been with ABC News since 1998, when he was a freelance video editor in London.

He covered numerous international events for ABC News before moving to the United States in 2008 and becoming executive producer of Nightline.

“Almin has dedicated his career to ABC News, excelling in every role he has played and elevating the standard of excellence in journalism by connecting with audiences in meaningful and profound ways,” said Debra O’Connell, president, Disney News Group and Networks, who will serve as his CEO.

Two leading news programs — David Muir’s “World News Tonight” and “Good Morning America” — have topped the ratings, and Karamehmedović will be tasked with keeping them that way.

Broadcast news presidents are among the most powerful positions in journalism, although their influence has waned in recent years due to increased attention paid to news networks and a more active role for corporate watchdogs such as O’Connell.