History of Good Morning America in Timeline
Good Morning America (GMA) is an American morning television program airing on ABC since November 3, 1975. It originally expanded to weekends in 1993, but the Sunday edition was canceled in 1999, later returning with both Saturday and Sunday editions in 2004. Weekday and Saturday programs are broadcast from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. across all U.S. time zones. The Sunday edition is an hour-long broadcast at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time, with a specialized feed for the Pacific Time Zone. A third hour of the weekday broadcast aired on ABC News Now from 2007 to 2008.
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January 6, 1975: ABC Launched 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 as a morning television program.
November 1975: Good Morning America Premieres
In November 1975, Geraldo Rivera began working for Good Morning America when it premiered, while still working for ABC News and its other shows such as Nightline and 20/20.
1975: Launch of Good Morning America
In 1975, after reviewing local shows like The Morning Exchange and Good Morning!, ABC launched Good Morning America. WCVB station manager Bob Bennett accused ABC of stealing the title of Good Morning!, which resulted in the Boston morning show changing its name to Good Day!.
August 30, 1976: Tom Brokaw Anchored Today
On August 30, 1976, Tom Brokaw began anchoring Today, while the program began a search for a female co-host.
April 1977: Sandy Hill Replaced Nancy Dussault
In April 1977, Nancy Dussault was replaced by Sandy Hill as co-host of Good Morning America.
1980: Sandy Hill Left
In 1980, Sandy Hill left Good Morning America after run-ins with Hartman and was replaced by Joan Lunden.
1982: John Coleman Left GMA
In 1982, John Coleman, former chief meteorologist for ABC owned-and-operated station WLS-TV in Chicago, left GMA to start The Weather Channel with Landmark Communications CEO Frank Batten.
1983: Dave Murray Provided Forecasts
From 1983, Dave Murray provided the forecasts for both Good Morning America and ABC's early morning news program ABC News This Morning.
August 1986: Spencer Christian Replaced Dave Murray
In August 1986, Spencer Christian replaced Dave Murray as the forecaster for Good Morning America and ABC's early morning news program ABC News This Morning.
1986: Joan Lunden Promoted
In 1986, Joan Lunden's popularity led to her promotion to co-anchor of Good Morning America.
1986: Forecasts by Jerry Hodak
Prior to Spencer Christian's arrival in 1986, forecasts on Good Morning America were provided by WXYZ-TV chief meteorologist Jerry Hodak via a split screen between the WXYZ studios in Detroit and the Good Morning America set in New York City.
February 20, 1987: David Hartman Retired
On February 20, 1987, David Hartman retired from Good Morning America after 3,189 broadcasts.
February 23, 1987: Lunden and Gibson Teamed Up
On February 23, 1987, Joan Lunden was paired with Charles Gibson on Good Morning America, which resulted in ratings for the program skyrocketing.
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 stumbled from its top spot, falling to second place behind Today.
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 Lunden that a prime time program; Behind Closed Doors would premiere on the network.
September 5, 1997: Lunden Stepped Down
On September 5, 1997, Joan Lunden decided to step down as host of Good Morning America after 17 years and was replaced by ABC News correspondent Lisa McRee.
May 1, 1998: Gibson Left the Show
On May 1, 1998, ratings declined sharply when Charles Gibson also left the show to make way for Kevin Newman.
January 1999: Shelley Ross' Changes
In January 1999, to improve Good Morning America's ratings performance, ABC News management selected Shelley Ross as executive producer and she ousted the McRee-Newman team and lobbied to bring in Diane Sawyer and team her with Charles Gibson.
January 18, 1999: Gibson-Sawyer Team Debuted
On January 18, 1999, the Charles Gibson-Diane Sawyer team debuted on Good Morning America, resulting in a dramatic increase in viewership.
September 13, 1999: Show Moved to Times Square Studios
On September 13, 1999, Good Morning America moved from the ABC News headquarters in Manhattan's Lincoln Square district to its present home at the Times Square Studios.
1999: Sunday Edition Canceled
In 1999, the Sunday edition of Good Morning America was canceled.
2001: Shelley Ross' Viewing Momentum
According to Linda McLoof, executive director of news research at ABC News from 2001, "When Shelley left, her viewing momentum was initially sustained, but a season later, the audience began to decline.
2001: Originated Live Show
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 Replaced Antonio Mora
On March 18, 2002, Robin Roberts replaced Antonio Mora as newsreader for Good Morning America.
September 4, 2004: Weekend Edition Return
On September 4, 2004, weekend editions of Good Morning America returned on both Saturdays and Sundays after being canceled in 1999.
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 Gibson and Sawyer.
November 3, 2005: 30th Anniversary
On November 3, 2005, Good Morning America celebrated its 30th anniversary with retrospectives, clips from the show's history, and decorating Times Square. Former co-hosts David Hartman and Joan Lunden, along with former meteorologist Spencer Christian, were among the guests of honor. That same day, Good Morning America became the first network morning news program to begin broadcasting in high-definition television.
December 2, 2005: Tony Perkins Left Program
On December 2, 2005, weather anchor Tony Perkins left Good Morning America after six years to return to his family in Washington, D.C., and join Fox owned-and-operated station WTTG.
June 28, 2006: Gibson Left Good Morning America
On June 28, 2006, Charles Gibson left Good Morning America for the second time to become anchor of ABC World News Tonight.
September 5, 2006: Chris Cuomo and Sam Champion join Good Morning America
On September 5, 2006, Chris Cuomo became news anchor while continuing duties on Primetime, and Sam Champion became weather anchor and weather editor for ABC News. The program also introduced a new graphics package and news area.
September 13, 2006: New Good Morning America logo introduced
On September 13, 2006, Good Morning America introduced a new logo with gold Avant Garde font on a blue background, resembling the original logo used up to early 1987.
June 29, 2007: Death of Joel Siegel
On June 29, 2007, Joel Siegel, the longtime film critic for Good Morning America, passed away from complications related to colorectal cancer at the age of 63.
July 31, 2007: Robin Roberts Announces Breast Cancer Diagnosis
On July 31, 2007, Robin Roberts announced she was diagnosed with breast cancer after discovering a lump during a self-examination.
October 22, 2007: Good Morning America Introduces New On-Air Graphics Package
On October 22, 2007, Good Morning America introduced a new on-air graphics package, with a more 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 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 Good Morning America broadcast began airing exclusively on ABC News Now.
January 15, 2008: Diane Keaton Comments on Diane Sawyer's Attractiveness
On January 15, 2008, during an interview on Good Morning America, actress Diane Keaton made a comment about Diane Sawyer's physical attractiveness, which led to an apology from Keaton for her remark.
2008: Daytime Emmy Award
In 2008, Good Morning America won the Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Morning Program".
2008: Third Hour on ABC News Now Ended
In 2008, the third hour of the weekday Good Morning America broadcast that aired exclusively on ABC News Now, ended.
June 26, 2009: Charles Gibson Returns to Good Morning America
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: Diane Sawyer to Anchor 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 the year.
December 10, 2009: George Stephanopoulos Announced as 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, effective December 14.
2009: Shelley Ross' Viewing Momentum
According to Linda McLoof, executive director of news research at ABC News until 2009, "When Shelley left, her viewing momentum was initially sustained, but a season later, the audience began to decline.
2009: Daytime Emmy Award
In 2009, Good Morning America won the Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Morning Program".
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, Good Morning America introduced an entirely new set for the program, with changes to the monitor used for national weather segments.
February 25, 2011: James Goldston Becomes Senior Executive Producer
On February 25, 2011, James Goldston moved from Nightline to become the Senior Executive Producer of Good Morning America.
March 17, 2011: Lara Spencer Rejoins Good Morning America
On March 17, 2011, ABC News President Ben Sherwood announced that former GMA national correspondent Lara Spencer would rejoin the program in May as a lifestyle anchor.
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: Good Morning America Broadcasts 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, who recently joined ABC News, filled in for Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, marking her return to morning news after six years.
April 9, 2012: Good Morning America Beats Today in Ratings
During the week of April 9, 2012, Good Morning America surpassed Today in viewership for the first time in 16 years, ending Today's 852-week streak as the most-watched morning news program.
April 2012: GMA Overtakes Today
In April 2012, Good Morning America overtook Today in the ratings with anchors Roberts and Stephanopoulos.
April 16, 2012: Good Morning America Beats Today Again
During the week of April 16, 2012, Good Morning America beat Today once again, by a larger margin of 166,000 viewers.
July 9, 2012: Good Afternoon America Premieres
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 Goes on 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 Ends
On September 7, 2012, the limited-run program Good Afternoon America, which was hosted by Josh Elliott and Lara Spencer, ended.
January 14, 2013: Robin Roberts Announces Hope to Return
On January 14, 2013, Robin Roberts announced that she hoped to return to Good Morning America sometime in February after undergoing a bone marrow transplant.
February 20, 2013: Robin Roberts Returns to Good Morning America
On February 20, 2013, Robin Roberts returned to Good Morning America part-time after her medical leave.
December 4, 2013: Sam Champion Departs Good Morning America
On December 4, 2013, Sam Champion departed Good Morning America and ABC News to join The Weather Channel.
March 30, 2014: Josh Elliott Leaves ABC News
On March 30, 2014, Josh Elliott left ABC News after three years as news anchor of Good Morning America to become a correspondent for NBC Sports. Amy Robach replaced him later that week.
April 15, 2014: Michael Strahan Joins Good Morning America
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 18, 2014: Lara Spencer Promoted to Co-Anchor
On April 18, 2014, Lara Spencer was promoted to co-anchor of Good Morning America, effective immediately.
September 15, 2014: Tim Tebow Debuts on Good Morning America
On September 15, 2014, Tim Tebow made his debut on Good Morning America as a part-time correspondent to help launch the new segment "Motivate Me Mondays".
November 19, 2015: Good Morning America Celebrates 40th Anniversary
On November 19, 2015, Good Morning America celebrated its 40th anniversary with main anchors and news/weather anchors returning and sharing stories.
April 19, 2016: Michael Strahan to Join Good Morning America Full-Time
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: Michael Strahan Begins as Full-Time Co-Anchor
On September 6, 2016, Michael Strahan began his run as the official full-time co-anchor of Good Morning America, along with Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Lara Spencer. A new title sequence was debuted without Spencer's name.
2016: Nine Network Broadcasts GMA in Australia
In 2016, the Nine Network in Australia began broadcasting Good Morning America on all its regional affiliates.
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 for the cancelled cooking series The Chew in the 1:00 p.m. ET/noon CT timeslot in the fall of 2018.
July 3, 2018: Nine No Longer Airs GMA
As of July 3, 2018, Nine in Australia no longer airs Good Morning America.
September 10, 2018: GMA Day Premieres
On September 10, 2018, GMA Day, a spinoff/third hour of GMA, premiered with Michael Strahan and Sara Haines as hosts.
January 28, 2019: GMA Day becomes GMA3
On January 28, 2019, GMA Day became known as GMA3 with Strahan and Sara being the subtitle.
August 26, 2019: Keke Palmer joins GMA3
On August 26, 2019, Keke Palmer joined GMA3 as a permanent third co-host, and the show took the subtitle of Strahan, Sara and Keke.
March 2020: GMA3 Becomes GMA3: 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 that originally covered the COVID-19 pandemic. Later in 2020, Palmer and industry insiders announced the Strahan, Sara and Keke incarnation of the program would not return and was, in effect, cancelled.
2021: WIN Television Broadcasts GMA in Australia
Since 2021, WIN Television in Australia, has broadcast Good Morning America on a one-day delay.
April 2022: Robin Roberts Celebrates 20th Anniversary
In April 2022, Robin Roberts celebrated her 20th anniversary with Good Morning America, with an on-air celebration and a plaque featuring her name on the grounds of Times Square.
September 7, 2023: Ray the Mascot Introduced
On September 7, 2023, Ray, an anthropomorphic show mascot styled as a sun-like creature, was introduced to Good Morning America viewers.
2025: Show Relocation
In 2025, Good Morning America is expected to relocate with many of ABC News and WABC-TV's on-air studio operations to a new Disney facility at 7 Hudson Square.
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