History of Good Morning America in Timeline
Good Morning America (GMA) is an American morning television program broadcast on ABC, premiering on November 3, 1975. It expanded to weekends with a Sunday edition in 1993, which was later canceled and revived on both Saturdays and Sundays in 2004. Weekday and Saturday broadcasts air from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. across all U.S. time zones. Sunday editions are an hour long, broadcast live at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time, with updates for the Pacific Time Zone. A third hour of the weekday broadcast aired on ABC News Now from 2007 to 2008.
January 6, 1975: AM America Launched
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, an American morning television program, debuted on ABC.
November 1975: Geraldo Rivera Joins GMA
In November 1975, Geraldo Rivera, who previously hosted 'Good Night America', joined Good Morning America while also working for ABC News and its other shows.
1975: Good Morning America Title Controversy
In late 1975, after the launch of Good Morning America, WCVB station manager Bob Bennett accused ABC entertainment president Fred Silverman of stealing the title of Good Morning! a Boston local show.
August 30, 1976: Tom Brokaw Anchors Today
On August 30, 1976, Tom Brokaw began anchoring Today while the program began a search for a female co-host.
April 25, 1977: Sandy Hill Replaces Nancy Dussault
On April 25, 1977, Sandy Hill replaced Nancy Dussault as co-host of Good Morning America.
August 28, 1980: Joan Lunden Joins Good Morning America
On August 28, 1980, Joan Lunden, then a reporter at ABC's New York City flagship WABC-TV, joined Good Morning America, replacing Sandy Hill.
1982: John Coleman Leaves GMA
In 1982, John Coleman, weather forecasts presenter for Good Morning America, left the show to start The Weather Channel with Landmark Communications CEO Frank Batten.
1983: Dave Murray Provides Weather Forecasts
From 1983, Dave Murray provided weather forecasts for both Good Morning America and ABC's early morning news program ABC News This Morning.
August 1986: Spencer Christian Replaces Dave Murray
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 to Co-Anchor
In 1986, Joan Lunden's popularity led to her promotion to co-anchor on Good Morning America, giving her more equal footing with David Hartman.
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.
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 Paired with Gibson
On February 23, 1987, Joan Lunden was paired with ABC News correspondent Charles Gibson on Good Morning America.
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 the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Daytime Talk Series.
December 11, 1995: GMA Falls Behind Today
Good Morning America stumbled from its top spot in late 1995, falling to second place behind Today, beginning a 16-year streak for Today as the top-rated morning news program, which began the week of December 11, 1995.
1995: GMA Placed Second in Ratings
From 1995, Good Morning America generally placed second in the ratings, behind NBC's Today.
1996: Behind Closed Doors Program
In 1996, ABC executives promised Joan Lunden that a prime time program; Behind Closed Doors would premiere on the network.
September 5, 1997: Lunden Steps Down
On September 5, 1997, Joan Lunden stepped down as host of Good Morning America after 17 years and was replaced by ABC News correspondent Lisa McRee.
May 1, 1998: Gibson Leaves GMA
On May 1, 1998, Charles Gibson left Good Morning America, making way for Kevin Newman. Ratings declined sharply with McRee and Newman as anchors.
January 1999: Shelley Ross and GMA ratings
In January 1999, ABC News management selected Shelley Ross from the field of executive producer candidates to improve Good Morning America's ratings performance.
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 increased viewership.
September 13, 1999: Move to Times Square Studios
On September 13, 1999, Good Morning America moved from the ABC News headquarters to Times Square Studios.
1999: Sunday Edition Cancellation
In 1999, the Sunday edition of Good Morning America was canceled.
2001: Shelley Ross's Legacy
According to Linda McLoof, executive director of news research at ABC News, the viewing momentum created by Shelley Ross was initially sustained after she left in 2001.
2001: GMA from The Pentagon
In 2001, Good Morning America originated a show from The Pentagon for the reopening of the wing damaged during the September 11 attacks.
March 18, 2002: Robin Roberts Replaces Antonio Mora
On March 18, 2002, Robin Roberts replaced Antonio Mora as newsreader for Good Morning America. Mora left to become an anchor at CBS owned-and-operated station WBBM-TV in Chicago.
2002: Logo Resemblance
The new logo unveiled in 2025 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: 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 Celebration
On November 3, 2005, Good Morning America celebrated its 30th anniversary with retrospectives and clips, decorating Times Square, and welcoming former co-hosts Hartman, Lunden, and Christian. 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 Leaves GMA
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. Perkins was replaced by Mike Barz.
June 28, 2006: Gibson Leaves GMA
On June 28, 2006, Charles Gibson left Good Morning America for the second time to become anchor of ABC World News Tonight. The day's edition celebrated his 19 years as anchor of the program.
August 2006: Chris Cuomo and Sam Champion named to GMA
In August 2006, Chris Cuomo was named news anchor while continuing his anchoring duties on the newsmagazine Primetime and serving as ABC News's senior legal correspondent. Meanwhile, Sam Champion, longtime evening meteorologist at WABC-TV, was named as the new weather anchor for the program and as weather editor for ABC News.
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 on Good Morning America. The show also debuted a new graphics package and news area.
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, similar to the original logo used up to 1987.
June 29, 2007: Death of Joel Siegel
On June 29, 2007, Joel Siegel, Good Morning America's longtime film critic, passed away due to complications from colorectal cancer at the age of 63.
July 31, 2007: Robin Roberts announces breast cancer diagnosis
On July 31, 2007, Robin Roberts announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer after discovering a lump during a self-examination while preparing a tribute episode for Joel Siegel.
October 22, 2007: New on-air graphics package
On October 22, 2007, Good Morning America introduced a new on-air graphics package, changing the background from blue to orangish-gold and updating the opening, 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 broadcast of Good Morning America began airing exclusively on ABC News Now.
January 15, 2008: Diane Keaton makes controversial remark
On January 15, 2008, during an interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, actress Diane Keaton made a controversial remark about Sawyer's appearance, which led to an apology. The Federal Communications Commission declined to take action.
March 28, 2008: Robin Roberts completes radiation treatments
On March 28, 2008, Robin Roberts completed radiation treatments while continuing to serve as anchor after announcing her breast cancer diagnosis on July 31, 2007.
September 2008: GMA's '50 States in 50 Days' tour
In September 2008, Good Morning America's anchors toured the United States via an Amtrak train as part of ABC News's '50 States in 50 Days' event, broadcasting from different locations each day.
2008: Daytime Emmy Award
In 2008, Good Morning America won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Program outright.
2008: Third Hour on ABC News Now Ended
In 2008, the third hour of the weekday broadcast of Good Morning America on ABC News Now ended.
June 26, 2009: Charles Gibson returns to anchor desk
Following the death of Michael Jackson, 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 replace Gibson at 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; the changes took effect on December 14.
2009: ABC News Research
According to Linda McLoof, executive director of news research at ABC News, a season after Shelley Ross left Good Morning America, the audience began to decline in 2009.
2009: Daytime Emmy Award
In 2009, Good Morning America won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Program outright.
April 2010: Anchor desk relocated
In April 2010, the anchor desk in the studio was relocated back in front of the window overlooking Times Square, where it had been when Good Morning America moved to the Times Square Studios facility in 1999; the news desk was also moved in front of a window.
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, with changes to the weather segment monitor and the news desk location, marking the first major set change since November 2005.
February 25, 2011: James Goldston becomes Senior Executive Producer
On February 25, 2011, James Goldston moved from Nightline to become Senior Executive Producer of Good Morning America.
March 17, 2011: Lara Spencer rejoins GMA
On March 17, 2011, ABC News President Ben Sherwood announced that former GMA national correspondent Lara Spencer would be rejoining the program 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: New studio set debuts
On September 6, 2011, Good Morning America began broadcasting from an entirely new studio set located on the first floor of the Times Square studios, featuring a back-projection of Times Square.
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 since hosting Today.
April 9, 2012: GMA beats Today in ratings for first time in 16 years
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 overtook NBC's Today in the ratings with anchors Roberts and Stephanopoulos.
April 16, 2012: GMA beats Today again in ratings
During the week of April 16, 2012, Good Morning America beat Today once again in the ratings, 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 Revolution'.
August 30, 2012: Robin Roberts takes medical leave
On August 30, 2012, Robin Roberts went on medical leave after undergoing a bone marrow transplant following her diagnosis with myelodysplastic syndrome.
September 7, 2012: Good Afternoon America Ends
On September 7, 2012, the limited-run program Good Afternoon America ended. It was hosted by Josh Elliott and Lara Spencer.
January 14, 2013: Roberts hopes to return in February
On January 14, 2013, Robin Roberts announced that she hoped to return to Good Morning America sometime that February after her medical leave.
February 20, 2013: Robin Roberts returns part-time
On February 20, 2013, Robin Roberts returned to Good Morning America on a part-time basis 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 Good Morning America on September 3 of that year.
December 4, 2013: Sam Champion departs GMA
On December 4, 2013, weather anchor Sam Champion departed Good Morning America and ABC News to join The Weather Channel.
March 2014: America's Morning Headquarters debut
In March 2014, the competing morning program America's Morning Headquarters, where Sam Champion became primary anchor, debuted on The Weather Channel.
March 30, 2014: Josh Elliott leaves ABC News
On March 30, 2014, news anchor Josh Elliott left ABC News after three years as news anchor of Good Morning America to become a correspondent for NBC Sports.
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 about Michael Strahan joining GMA
In early April 2014, several media reports speculated that Michael Strahan would be joining 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 Roberts and 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 to help launch the new segment, "Motivate Me Mondays".
September 2014: Tim Tebow joins GMA
In September 2014, former NFL player Tim Tebow was announced to be joining Good Morning America as a part-time correspondent to help launch the new segment, "Motivate Me Mondays".
November 19, 2015: 40th Anniversary Celebration
On November 19, 2015, Good Morning America celebrated its 40th anniversary, with main, news, and weather anchors returning to share stories, and clips from all 40 years were shown.
April 19, 2016: Strahan announces departure from Live!
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 official full-time co-anchor of Good Morning America along with Roberts, Stephanopoulos, and Spencer. A new title sequence was debuted. The second hour is taped in front of a live studio audience and focuses on soft news and entertainment.
2016: Nine Network Broadcasts GMA
From 2016, the Nine Network in Australia broadcast Good Morning America on all its regional affiliates.
April 2018: Spencer to cut back on hours
In April 2018, it was announced that Lara Spencer would cut back on her hours on Good Morning America from five days a week to three to focus on her own projects.
May 23, 2018: GMA Day announced
On May 23, 2018, an afternoon extension of Good Morning America (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 no longer airs Good Morning America.
September 10, 2018: GMA Day Premieres
On September 10, 2018, GMA3 premiered under the title GMA Day, originally hosted by Michael Strahan and Sara Haines.
January 28, 2019: GMA3 Renamed
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 co-host, and the show took the subtitle of Strahan, Sara and Keke.
March 2020: GMA3 Changes Format
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, signalling the cancellation of Strahan, Sara and Keke.
2021: WIN Television Broadcasts GMA
Since 2021, WIN Television in Australia has broadcast Good Morning America on a one-day delay.
April 2022: 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: Show mascot introduced
On September 7, 2023, an anthropomorphic show mascot, Ray, styled as a sun-like creature, was introduced to the viewers of Good Morning America.
October 2023: Relocation Announcement
In October 2023, it was announced 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.
June 16, 2025: GMA Relocates to 7 Hudson Square
On June 16, 2025, Good Morning America officially moved to a new Disney facility at 7 Hudson Square in Lower Manhattan and began broadcasting out of Studio C. As part of this relocation, a new logo was unveiled for the first time in 19 years, and new graphics and studios were introduced.
November 3, 2025: 50th Anniversary Celebration
On November 3, 2025, Good Morning America celebrated its 50th anniversary with many former anchors joining in the celebration.
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