NEW YORK — At ABC News, the talk lately has centered on one question: What's Diane going to do?
After a year in which the television news industry absorbed Katie Couric's move to "CBS Evening News" and Meredith Vieira's jump to NBC's "Today" show, Diane Sawyer is poised to trigger more upheaval as she mulls whether to continue her eight-year run on "Good Morning America."
The departure of Sawyer -- arguably the news division's biggest luminary -- would be a substantial blow to "GMA," the most profitable program at ABC News and a show on which she has considerable influence.
Sawyer has not yet given news executives an indication of her plans, according to network sources. The 61-year-old anchor is known for being inscrutable, but those close to her believe she has in fact not yet made up her mind about whether to remain on the morning show. One factor complicating her decision: the lack of other A-list broadcasting jobs currently up for grabs.
The uncertainty about her next move has caused considerable anxiety among ABC officials, who are not eager to see her leave "GMA" on the heels of her longtime co-anchor Charles Gibson, who switched over to the evening newscast last spring.
Executives fret that "GMA" would founder without her, especially as the program is still finding its footing since the arrival of two new on-air hires this season: news anchor Chris Cuomo and weatherman Sam Champion. Anchor Robin Roberts has been in her post since May 2005 but has a lower profile than her well-known co-host.
Sawyer has two more years on her ABC contract, but her obligation to "GMA" is less explicit. She originally joined the show in 1999 with Gibson on a temporary basis to help shore up the second-place program, a status that has not technically changed.
After Gibson moved to "World News," Sawyer said she planned to stay at "GMA" through at least part of 2007.
"I love these people and I love their passion, and I learn from them daily," she said in an interview in June. "I am going to stay and do whatever I can to make it strong and stable."
Sawyer declined to comment this week on her plans, but ABC spokesman Jeffrey Schneider said her commitment to "GMA" has no timetable.
"She is very much enjoying what she's doing right now," Schneider added. "She is very engaged, loves the new team and has had an incredible run of great reporting."
