News anchor Charles Gibson announced he would be retiring from ABC’s  World News back in September. Now it looks like his official last day as anchor of World News with Charles Gibson will be on Friday, Dec. 18.
Diane Sawyer has been tapped to replace Gibson as anchor of the ABC evening newscast and is expected to take over the reins on the following Monday.
Jon Banner, executive producer of World News, said in a memo the show would “spend a good deal of time during his final week on the air looking back at the stories Charlie covered, hearing again from some of the remarkable people he interviewed and paying tribute to our friend and colleague and the enormous contribution he has made to ABC News over the last three decades.”
“It’s that time of year in this great country of ours when we give thanks for family and friends and focus on the things that matter most to us. It’s no different here in the newsroom, where we are preparing to see our very good friend and anchor off as he begins a new journey,†Banner wrote in a blog post on ABCNews.com.
“We’ve known this day was coming; Charlie first told us of his desire to retire in early September. As he said then, it’s the right time for him and his amazing family.â€
>> Previously: Diane Sawyer to Replace Charles Gibson on ABC’s World News