Good Morning America (GMA) is a long-running American morning television program that airs daily on ABC. Since its debut in 1975, the show has become a staple of morning broadcasting, known for its blend of hard news, investigative reports, weather forecasts, and lifestyle segments. GMA features a rotating panel of hosts who conduct interviews with high-profile celebrities, political figures, and newsmakers, while also covering human-interest stories and trending cultural topics. The program is recognized for its accessible, upbeat tone, serving as a primary source of information and entertainment for millions of viewers as they start their day. Over the decades, it has maintained a competitive position in ratings by evolving its format to include interactive segments and expert advice on health, finance, and consumer issues, effectively balancing serious journalism with segments designed to keep the audience informed and engaged throughout the week.
January 6, 1975: ABC Launches AM America
On January 6, 1975, ABC premiered the morning program AM America to challenge NBC's popular Today show. Hosted by Bill Beutel and Stephanie Edwards with Peter Jennings as the news anchor, the show struggled to capture an audience, leading the network to re-evaluate its approach based on the success of local affiliates.
November 3, 1975: Debut of Good Morning America
On November 3, 1975, the morning television program Good Morning America officially premiered on the ABC network.
1975: Launch of Good Morning America
In late 1975, ABC premiered its new morning program, Good Morning America. The show's launch caused a conflict with Boston affiliate WCVB-TV, whose station manager, Bob Bennett, accused ABC of stealing the title from their local program, Good Morning!. Although no legal action was finalized, the incident prompted WCVB-TV to rename their show Good Day!.
August 30, 1976: Tom Brokaw begins anchoring Today
On August 30, 1976, journalist Tom Brokaw officially took over as the anchor of the NBC morning program Today, during a period when the show was actively searching for a new female co-host following Barbara Walters' departure.
April 25, 1977: Sandy Hill Replaces Nancy Dussault
On April 25, 1977, Sandy Hill, a former KABC-TV anchor from Los Angeles, officially replaced Nancy Dussault as a cohost on Good Morning America.
August 28, 1980: Joan Lunden Joins Good Morning America
On August 28, 1980, Joan Lunden, who was previously a reporter at WABC-TV, joined Good Morning America to replace Sandy Hill as co-host alongside David Hartman.
1982: John Coleman Leaves Good Morning America
In 1982, John Coleman departed from Good Morning America, where he had served as the show's original meteorologist for seven years, to co-found The Weather Channel alongside Landmark Communications CEO Frank Batten.
1983: Dave Murray Joins Morning News Programs
Starting in 1983, Dave Murray assumed the role of meteorologist for both Good Morning America and ABC News This Morning, a position he held until 1986.
August 1986: Spencer Christian Named Meteorologist
In August 1986, Spencer Christian, previously of WABC-TV, was appointed as the new meteorologist for Good Morning America, replacing Dave Murray.
1986: Joan Lunden Promoted to Co-Anchor
In 1986, Joan Lunden was promoted to the position of co-anchor on Good Morning America, establishing a more equitable professional standing with David Hartman than previous female co-hosts had held.
1986: Meteorological Transition
In 1986, prior to Spencer Christian joining the program, weather forecasts were delivered by Jerry Hodak, who appeared on Good Morning America via a remote split-screen broadcast from WXYZ-TV studios in Detroit to the New York set.
February 20, 1987: David Hartman Retires
On February 20, 1987, David Hartman retired from Good Morning America after completing 3,189 broadcasts, effectively ending his long-standing partnership with Joan Lunden.
February 23, 1987: Lunden and Gibson Partnership
On February 23, 1987, Joan Lunden began co-hosting Good Morning America alongside ABC News correspondent Charles Gibson, a professional pairing that significantly boosted the program's ratings and led to it frequently outperforming its rival, Today.
January 3, 1993: Launch of Sunday Edition
Good Morning America expanded its broadcast schedule on January 3, 1993, by introducing its first Sunday edition program.
December 11, 1995: Today Begins Ratings Streak
During the week of December 11, 1995, the program Today began a dominant 16-year streak as the highest-rated morning news program, displacing Good Morning America from the top spot.
1995: GMA Ratings Placement Shift
Beginning in 1995 and continuing through 2012, Good Morning America generally held the second-place position in television ratings behind NBC's Today show.
1996: Premiere of Behind Closed Doors
In 1996, the prime time program Behind Closed Doors premiered on ABC, fulfilling a promise made to host Joan Lunden to help reduce her morning show workload.
September 5, 1997: Joan Lunden Departs Good Morning America
On September 5, 1997, Joan Lunden announced her decision to step down as the host of Good Morning America after a tenure of 17 years, leading to her replacement by ABC News correspondent Lisa McRee.
May 1, 1998: Kevin Newman Joins Good Morning America
On May 1, 1998, Charles Gibson departed the program, and Kevin Newman took over as anchor alongside Lisa McRee, a change that triggered a significant decline in ratings as viewers migrated to competing show Today.
January 1999: Good Morning America ratings decline
In January 1999, the morning news program Good Morning America experienced a ratings dip that caused it to briefly fall into third place among competing morning television shows.
January 18, 1999: Gibson and Sawyer debut on Good Morning America
On January 18, 1999, the new hosting team of Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer officially debuted on Good Morning America, leading to a significant increase in the program's viewership throughout the following season.
September 13, 1999: Move to Times Square Studios
On September 13, 1999, Good Morning America officially relocated from the ABC News headquarters in Lincoln Square to Times Square Studios, allowing for the inclusion of a live studio audience.
1999: Cancellation of Sunday Edition
In 1999, the Sunday edition of Good Morning America, which had been airing since 1993, was officially canceled.
2001: GMA Broadcasts from The Pentagon
In 2001, Good Morning America made history by originating a live broadcast from The Pentagon to commemorate the reopening of the wing that had been damaged during the September 11 attacks.
2001: Linda McLoof Begins Tenure at ABC News
In 2001, Linda McLoof began her tenure as the executive director of news research at ABC News, a position she held until 2009, during which she monitored the viewership trends of Good Morning America.
March 18, 2002: Departure of Antonio Mora
On March 18, 2002, newsreader Antonio Mora left Good Morning America to take on a new role as an anchor at the CBS-owned WBBM-TV station in Chicago, leading to his replacement by Robin Roberts.
September 4, 2004: Return of Weekend Editions
On September 4, 2004, weekend editions of Good Morning America were reinstated, featuring broadcasts on both Saturdays and Sundays.
May 23, 2005: Robin Roberts promoted to GMA co-anchor
On May 23, 2005, ABC News officially announced that Robin Roberts would be elevated from her role as a newsreader to a full-time co-anchor of Good Morning America, working alongside Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer, following her tenure as a regular substitute for the pair.
November 3, 2005: Good Morning America 30th Anniversary and HD Launch
On November 3, 2005, Good Morning America celebrated its 30th anniversary with a special broadcast featuring former hosts like David Hartman and Joan Lunden in Times Square. During this same broadcast, the program made history by becoming the first network morning news show to transition to high-definition television.
December 2, 2005: Tony Perkins Departed Good Morning America
On December 2, 2005, weather anchor Tony Perkins concluded his six-year tenure on Good Morning America with a heartfelt on-air farewell to his colleagues and viewers before returning to Washington, D.C. to work at WTTG. During the episode, he was honored with a ten-minute tribute segment, and it was announced that he would be replaced by Mike Barz.
June 28, 2006: Charles Gibson's Departure from Good Morning America
On June 28, 2006, Charles Gibson concluded his 19-year tenure as an anchor for Good Morning America. The broadcast served as a tribute to his career and highlighted his transition to becoming the anchor of ABC World News Tonight, with Gibson concluding the show by reflecting on his positive experience during his two decades on the program.
2007: Introduction of Third Hour
In 2007, Good Morning America began airing a third hour of its weekday broadcast exclusively on the platform ABC News Now.
2007: Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Program
In 2007, Good Morning America received the inaugural Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Program, sharing the honor with the program Today.
2008: Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Program
Good Morning America was recognized in 2008 by winning the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Program outright.
2008: Conclusion of Third Hour
The special third hour of Good Morning America, which had been airing on ABC News Now since 2007, concluded its run in 2008.
2009: Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Program
In 2009, Good Morning America secured its third consecutive Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Program.
2009: Conclusion of Linda McLoof's Executive Role
The tenure of Linda McLoof as the executive director of news research at ABC News concluded in 2009, having started in 2001.
April 2012: Good Morning America Overtakes Today
In April 2012, Good Morning America successfully surpassed its long-time rival, NBC's Today show, in ratings under the anchoring of Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos.
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