Chris Cuomo confirmed the widely reported news that he will be leaving Good Morning America to anchor 20/20. Cuomo made the announcement during GMA's Dec. 10 broadcast.
He said anchoring the primetime newsmagazine with "my friend Elizabeth Vargas" is "a dream job for a journalist like me.... But it was also a very difficult decision, because I am leaving a special place and crew and all of you, and you are part of my family."
There was voluble applause from his GMA colleagues, Robin Roberts, Diane Sawyer and Sam Champion, and the on-set crew.
Cuomo's last day on GMA will be Dec. 11. Juju Chang will step into the news reader position Dec. 14. Diane Sawyer's last day on GMA is also Dec. 11. She'll anchor World News on Dec. 21 and 22 before assuming the chair full-time in January.
ABC News is expected to announce that George Stephanopoulos will take over for Sawyer. He'll make his Good Morning America debut Dec. 14, a network executive confirmed. He'll continue to anchor his public affairs program This Week for the time being, but Stephanopoulos is expected to pass the baton at some point. Nightline co-anchor Terry Moran and chief White House correspondent Jake Tapper have both filled in for Stephanopoulos and are on the short list to replace him.
