History of Good Morning America in Timeline
Good Morning America (GMA) is an American morning television program on ABC, premiering November 3, 1975. It expanded to weekends, initially with a Sunday edition in 1993, which was later canceled. Weekend editions returned on Saturdays and Sundays in 2004. Weekday and Saturday programs air from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. across all U.S. time zones, while Sunday editions are an hour long, broadcast live at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The Pacific Time Zone receives an updated feed. A third hour of the weekday broadcast was available on ABC News Now from 2007 to 2008.
January 6, 1975: ABC Launches AM America
On January 6, 1975, ABC launched AM America, hosted by Bill Beutel and Stephanie Edwards, with Peter Jennings reading the news, in an attempt to compete with NBC's Today.
November 3, 1975: Good Morning America Debut
On November 3, 1975, Good Morning America debuted on ABC. The program expanded to weekends later on.
November 1975: Geraldo Rivera Joins Good Morning America
In November 1975, Geraldo Rivera, who previously hosted 'Good Night America,' joined Good Morning America while also working for ABC News shows like Nightline and 20/20.
1975: Launch of Good Morning America
Late in 1975, Good Morning America was launched, leading to accusations of title theft from WCVB station manager Bob Bennett, regarding their local show, Good Morning!.
August 30, 1976: Tom Brokaw Anchors Today
On August 30, 1976, Tom Brokaw began anchoring Today, prompting a search for a female co-host and intensifying the ratings battle with Good Morning America.
April 1977: Sandy Hill Replaces Nancy Dussault
In April 1977, Sandy Hill replaced Nancy Dussault as co-host of Good Morning America.
1980: Sandy Hill Leaves GMA
In 1980, Sandy Hill left Good Morning America after run-ins with David Hartman. She was replaced by Joan Lunden.
1982: John Coleman leaves GMA
In 1982, John Coleman left Good Morning America to start The Weather Channel with Landmark Communications CEO Frank Batten.
1983: Dave Murray Forecasts
From 1983, Dave Murray provided the weather forecasts for both Good Morning America and ABC's early morning news program ABC News This Morning.
August 1986: Spencer Christian Joins GMA
In August 1986, Spencer Christian replaced Dave Murray as the weather forecaster for both Good Morning America and ABC News This Morning.
1986: Joan Lunden Promoted
In 1986, Joan Lunden was promoted to co-anchor of Good Morning America, achieving more equal footing with David Hartman.
1986: Jerry Hodak Forecasts
Prior to Spencer Christian's arrival in 1986, Jerry Hodak provided forecasts via split screen between Detroit and New York City.
February 20, 1987: David Hartman's Retirement
On February 20, 1987, David Hartman retired from Good Morning America after 3,189 broadcasts.
February 23, 1987: Lunden and Gibson Partnership
On February 23, 1987, Joan Lunden was paired with Charles Gibson on Good Morning America, leading to skyrocketing ratings.
1987: Original Logo End Date
The original Good Morning America logo featuring gold Avant Garde font on a blue background was used up until 1987.
1991: Couric Joined Today
In 1991, Katie Couric joined the rival NBC morning program Today.
1992: Daytime Emmy Award
In 1992, Good Morning America won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk/Service Show.
January 3, 1993: Sunday Edition Debut
On January 3, 1993, Good Morning America expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition.
1993: Daytime Emmy Award
In 1993, Good Morning America won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk/Service Show.
December 11, 1995: GMA Fell to Second Place
On the week of December 11, 1995, Good Morning America fell from its top spot to second place behind Today, beginning a 16-year streak for Today as the top-rated morning news program.
1995: GMA Placed Second
From 1995, Good Morning America generally placed second in the ratings, behind NBC's Today.
1996: Behind Closed Doors
In 1996, ABC executives promised Joan Lunden that a prime time program, Behind Closed Doors would premiere on the network.
September 5, 1997: Joan Lunden Steps Down
On September 5, 1997, Joan Lunden stepped down as host of Good Morning America after 17 years and was replaced by Lisa McRee.
May 1, 1998: Gibson Left GMA
On May 1, 1998, Charles Gibson also left Good Morning America, replaced by Kevin Newman, which led to a sharp decline in ratings.
January 1999: Ratings Fall
In January 1999, Good Morning America's ratings briefly fell to third place among the morning shows.
January 18, 1999: Gibson-Sawyer Team Debuts
On January 18, 1999, the Charles Gibson-Diane Sawyer team, paired by Shelley Ross, debuted on Good Morning America, resulting in a dramatic increase in viewership.
September 13, 1999: Move to Times Square Studios
On September 13, 1999, Good Morning America moved from ABC News headquarters to Times Square Studios.
1999: Move to Times Square Studios Facility
In 1999, Good Morning America moved to the Times Square Studios facility, with the anchor desk positioned in front of the window overlooking Times Square.
1999: Sunday Edition Cancelled
In 1999, the Sunday edition of Good Morning America was cancelled.
2001: Shelley's Viewing Momentum
From 2001 to 2009, according to Linda McLoof, Shelley's viewing momentum was initially sustained, but a season later, the audience began to decline.
2001: The Pentagon Broadcast
In 2001, Good Morning America originated a live show from The Pentagon for the reopening of the wing damaged during the September 11 attacks.
March 18, 2002: Robin Roberts Joins GMA
On March 18, 2002, Robin Roberts replaced Antonio Mora as newsreader on Good Morning America.
2002: Mention of Resemblance of Logo
In 2023, when GMA changed the logo, it was mentioned that the new logo loosely resembled the 2002-2006 Good Morning America logo.
September 4, 2004: Weekend Editions Return
On September 4, 2004, weekend editions of Good Morning America returned on both Saturdays and Sundays.
May 23, 2005: Robin Roberts Promoted to Co-Anchor
On May 23, 2005, ABC News announced that Robin Roberts would be promoted from newsreader to co-anchor of Good Morning America, joining Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer.
November 3, 2005: 30th Anniversary Celebration
On November 3, 2005, Good Morning America celebrated its 30th anniversary with retrospectives, clips, and honored guests, becoming the first network morning news program to broadcast in high-definition television.
November 2005: Show Upgraded to High Definition
In November 2005, Good Morning America upgraded to high definition. This was the first major set change since then.
December 2, 2005: Tony Perkins Leaves GMA
On December 2, 2005, weather anchor Tony Perkins left Good Morning America after six years to return to his family and join WTTG in Washington, D.C. He was replaced by Mike Barz.
June 28, 2006: Charles Gibson's Departure
On June 28, 2006, Charles Gibson left Good Morning America for the second time, transitioning to anchor ABC World News Tonight.
August 2006: Chris Cuomo Named News Anchor
In August 2006, Chris Cuomo was named news anchor for Good Morning America, while continuing his duties on Primetime and as ABC News's senior legal correspondent.
September 5, 2006: Chris Cuomo and Sam Champion Join GMA
On September 5, 2006, Chris Cuomo became news anchor and Sam Champion became weather anchor for Good Morning America. The show also debuted a new graphics package and news area for Cuomo.
September 13, 2006: New GMA Logo Introduced
On September 13, 2006, Good Morning America introduced a new logo featuring gold Avant Garde font on a blue background, resembling the original logo used up to 1987.
2006: Couric Left Today
In 2006, Katie Couric left the rival NBC morning program Today.
June 29, 2007: Joel Siegel Dies
On June 29, 2007, Joel Siegel, Good Morning America's longtime film critic, died at age 63 due to complications from colorectal cancer.
July 31, 2007: Robin Roberts Announces Breast Cancer Diagnosis
On July 31, 2007, Robin Roberts announced she was diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump during a self-examination, while preparing a tribute episode to Joel Siegel.
October 22, 2007: New On-Air Graphics Package Introduced
On October 22, 2007, Good Morning America introduced a new on-air graphics package with an orangish-gold setting, new opening music by DreamArtists Studios, and changes to the news ticker and time-and-temperature bug.
2007: Daytime Emmy Award
In 2007, Good Morning America won the first Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Morning Program", sharing the award with Today.
2007: Third Hour on ABC News Now
In 2007, a third hour of the weekday broadcast of Good Morning America began airing exclusively on ABC News Now.
2007: Sawyer Contract Expiration Speculation
In 2007, there was speculation that Diane Sawyer would leave Good Morning America when her contract expired to anchor ABC World News.
January 15, 2008: Diane Keaton's Remark and Apology
On January 15, 2008, during an interview with Diane Sawyer, actress Diane Keaton made a remark about Sawyer's attractiveness and quickly apologized.
March 28, 2008: Roberts Completes Radiation Treatments
On March 28, 2008, Robin Roberts completed her radiation treatments while remaining as anchor.
September 2008: GMA's "50 States in 50 Days" Tour
In September 2008, Good Morning America's anchors toured the United States on an Amtrak train as part of ABC News's "50 States in 50 Days" event, broadcasting from different locations each day. The first stop was in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, featuring James Taylor.
2008: Daytime Emmy Award
In 2008, Good Morning America won the Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Morning Program" outright.
2008: End of Third Hour
In 2008, the third hour of the weekday broadcast of Good Morning America ended its run on ABC News Now.
June 26, 2009: Charles Gibson Returns to Anchor Desk
Following Michael Jackson's death, on June 26, 2009, Charles Gibson returned to the Good Morning America anchor desk with Robin Roberts, while Diane Sawyer was away.
September 2, 2009: Sawyer to Replace Gibson on ABC World News
On September 2, 2009, ABC announced that Diane Sawyer would replace Charles Gibson as anchor of ABC World News at the end of that year.
December 10, 2009: Stephanopoulos Named Sawyer's Replacement
On December 10, 2009, George Stephanopoulos was announced as Diane Sawyer's replacement on Good Morning America, with Juju Chang replacing Chris Cuomo as newsreader.
2009: Linda McLoof's Research
From 2001 to 2009, Linda McLoof was the executive director of news research at ABC News.
2009: Daytime Emmy Award
In 2009, Good Morning America won the Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Morning Program" outright.
April 2010: Anchor Desk Relocation
In April 2010, the anchor desk in the studio was relocated back in front of the window overlooking Times Square.
May 3, 2010: New Graphics and Theme Music Debut
On May 3, 2010, Good Morning America debuted new "light blue and sunny" graphics and new theme music by DreamArtists Studios.
January 31, 2011: New Set Introduced
On January 31, 2011, an entirely new set was introduced for Good Morning America, with changes including moving the weather monitor closer to the anchor desk.
February 25, 2011: James Goldston Moves to GMA
On February 25, 2011, James Goldston moved from Nightline to become Senior Executive Producer of GMA.
March 17, 2011: Lara Spencer Re-Joins GMA
On March 17, 2011, ABC News President Ben Sherwood announced that Lara Spencer would be rejoining Good Morning America in May in a newly created lifestyle anchor position.
March 29, 2011: Josh Elliott Named News Anchor
On March 29, 2011, ESPN anchor Josh Elliott was named news anchor of Good Morning America following the departure of Juju Chang.
September 6, 2011: Broadcast from New Studio Set
On September 6, 2011, Good Morning America began broadcasting from a new studio set located on the first floor of the Times Square studios.
April 1, 2012: Katie Couric Fills in for Robin Roberts
During the week of April 1, 2012, Katie Couric filled in for Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, marking her return to morning news after six years.
April 9, 2012: GMA Beats Today in Ratings
During the week of April 9, 2012, Good Morning America beat Today in the ratings for the first time in 16 years, ending Today's 852-week streak as the most-watched network morning news program.
April 2012: GMA Overtakes Today in Ratings
In April 2012, Good Morning America, with anchors Roberts and Stephanopoulos, overtook Today in the ratings.
April 16, 2012: GMA Beats Today Again in Ratings
During the week of April 16, 2012, Good Morning America beat Today again in the ratings by a larger margin than the previous week.
July 9, 2012: Premiere of Good Afternoon America
On July 9, 2012, a special summer afternoon edition of Good Morning America, titled Good Afternoon America, premiered as a temporary replacement for the canceled talk/lifestyle show The Revolution.
August 30, 2012: Robin Roberts Takes Medical Leave
On August 30, 2012, Robin Roberts went on medical leave after being diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome and undergoing a bone marrow transplant.
September 7, 2012: Good Afternoon America Concludes
On September 7, 2012, the limited-run program Good Afternoon America, hosted by Josh Elliott and Lara Spencer, ended.
January 14, 2013: Roberts Announces Hope to Return in February
On January 14, 2013, Robin Roberts announced that she hoped to return to Good Morning America sometime in February following her medical leave.
February 20, 2013: Roberts Returns to GMA Part-Time
On February 20, 2013, Robin Roberts returned to Good Morning America part-time after her medical leave.
August 2013: Roberts Announces Full-Time Return
In August 2013, Robin Roberts announced that she would return to full-time hosting duties on September 3.
December 4, 2013: Sam Champion Departs GMA
On December 4, 2013, Sam Champion departed Good Morning America to join The Weather Channel.
March 2014: America's Morning Headquarters Debut
In March 2014, America's Morning Headquarters debuted on the Weather Channel with Sam Champion as primary anchor.
March 30, 2014: Josh Elliott Leaves ABC News
On March 30, 2014, Josh Elliott left ABC News and Good Morning America to become a correspondent for NBC Sports, and was replaced by Amy Robach later that week.
April 15, 2014: Michael Strahan Joins GMA as Contributing Anchor
On April 15, 2014, Michael Strahan was introduced as the new contributing anchor on Good Morning America, while maintaining his co-host duties on Live! with Kelly and Michael.
April 2014: Speculation of Strahan Joining GMA
In early April 2014, media reports speculated that Michael Strahan would join Good Morning America as a contributing anchor.
April 18, 2014: Lara Spencer Promoted to Co-Anchor
On April 18, 2014, Lara Spencer was promoted to co-anchor of Good Morning America, receiving top billing alongside Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos.
September 15, 2014: Tim Tebow Debuts "Motivate Me Mondays"
On September 15, 2014, Tim Tebow made his debut on Good Morning America as a part-time correspondent, launching the new segment "Motivate Me Mondays".
September 2014: Tim Tebow Joins GMA
In September 2014, it was announced that Tim Tebow would be joining Good Morning America as a part-time correspondent.
November 19, 2015: 40th Anniversary Celebration
On November 19, 2015, Good Morning America celebrated its 40th anniversary with main anchors and news/weather anchors returning to share their stories, showcasing clips from all 40 years.
April 19, 2016: Strahan Announces GMA Move
On April 19, 2016, Michael Strahan announced that he would be leaving Live! with Kelly and Michael to join Good Morning America full-time.
September 6, 2016: Strahan Begins Full-Time Run
On September 6, 2016, Michael Strahan began his run as official full-time co-anchor of Good Morning America alongside Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Lara Spencer. A new title sequence was debuted not including Spencer's name. The first hour focuses on news, and the second hour is taped in front of a live studio audience and focuses on "soft news" and entertainment.
2016: Nine Network Broadcasts GMA in Australia
In 2016, the Nine Network in Australia began broadcasting Good Morning America on its regional affiliates.
April 2018: Spencer Cuts Back Hours
In April 2018, it was announced that Lara Spencer would cut back on her hours on Good Morning America to focus on her own projects, and Robin Roberts would no longer anchor Fridays except for special occasions.
May 23, 2018: GMA Day Announced
On May 23, 2018, an afternoon extension of GMA (originally titled GMA Day, now known as GMA3) was announced as a replacement in the fall of 2018 for the cancelled cooking series The Chew.
July 3, 2018: Nine No Longer Airs GMA
As of July 3, 2018, the Nine Network in Australia stopped airing Good Morning America.
September 10, 2018: Premiere of GMA Day
On September 10, 2018, GMA3, a spinoff of GMA, premiered under the title GMA Day, hosted by Michael Strahan and Sara Haines.
January 28, 2019: GMA Day Renamed GMA3
On January 28, 2019, GMA Day was renamed GMA3 with the subtitle Strahan and Sara.
August 26, 2019: Keke Palmer Joins GMA3
On August 26, 2019, Keke Palmer joined GMA3 as a permanent co-host, and the show was subtitled Strahan, Sara and Keke.
March 2020: GMA3 Becomes What You Need to Know
In March 2020, GMA3 became GMA3: What You Need to Know, an hour-long news program hosted by Amy Robach, covering the COVID-19 pandemic. The Strahan, Sara and Keke incarnation was effectively cancelled.
2021: WIN Television Broadcasts GMA in Australia
In 2021, WIN Television in Australia took over broadcasting Good Morning America on a one-day delay.
April 2022: Robin Roberts' 20th Anniversary
In April 2022, Robin Roberts celebrated her 20th anniversary with Good Morning America, during which an on-air celebration was held and she was honored with a plaque in Times Square.
September 7, 2023: Ray the Mascot Introduced
On September 7, 2023, an anthropomorphic show mascot named Ray, styled as a sun-like creature, was introduced to the viewers.
October 2023: Relocation Announcement
In October 2023, the announcement was made that GMA, along with many of ABC News and WABC-TV's on-air studio operations, would relocate to a new Disney facility at 7 Hudson Square in Lower Manhattan.
2024: Ratings Struggles
In the first half of 2024, Good Morning America struggled in the ratings, losing the demographic of adults under the age of 54 to the Today show and occasionally to CBS Mornings.
June 16, 2025: GMA Relocates to 7 Hudson Square
On June 16, 2025, Good Morning America officially relocated to a new Disney facility at 7 Hudson Square in Lower Manhattan, broadcasting from Studio C. A new logo, resembling the 2002-2006 design, was unveiled. The new graphics and studios combine hard scenery, virtual set extensions, and movable LED units.
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