Disney Names Almin Karamehmedovic President of ABC News

Almin Karamehmedovic has been named president of ABC News, a move that puts a veteran producer of hard-news coverage and overseas reporting at the top of the Disney unit, albeit one with a lack of experience in some key operations, including the critical “Good Morning America” daytime franchise.

Staffers inside ABC News were taken aback by the announcement, according to two people familiar with the matter, which was made at the unit’s Monday news meeting. Some praised the hire, noting Karamehmedovic’s facility with newsgathering and close ties to “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir, one of ABC’s most-watched figures. Others were puzzled by the maneuver, noting Karamehmedovic’s minimal exposure to key ABC News properties, including “GMA,” “The View” and “The Tamron Hall Show.”

Many ABC News staffers and talent executives who deal regularly with the unit had thought Disney might bring back Tom Cibrowski, a former senior ABC News producers who is currently the general manager of KGO, a San Francisco station that is owned by ABC.

The hire of Karamehmedovic may spotlight a new managing philosophy being put in place by Debra OConnell, the Disney veteran who in February was placed atop both the company’s national newsgathering unit and its local-stations business. One person familiar with ABC News suggests that OConnell will take more oversight of the business areas with which Karamehmedovic may be less familiar. “Good Morning America” and other daytime shows often thrive on product integration deals, for example, that weave advertisers into content, such as weather sponsorships or story segments.

More to come