CNN
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Barbara Walters, a pioneering television journalist whose interviewing skills made her one of the most prominent figures in the broadcasting industry, has passed away, her spokesperson confirmed to CNN. She was 93 years old.
“Barbara Walters He passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loved ones. She lived her life without regrets. She was a trailblazer not just for female journalists, but for all women,” Walters spokesperson Cindy Berger told CNN in a statement.
Walters began his national broadcasting career in 1961 as a reporter, writer and panel member for NBC’s “Today” show, and was promoted to co-hdst in 1974.
With that network, Walters launched “The Barbara Walters Specials” and “10 Most Fascinating People” before becoming co-host and correspondent for ABC News’ “20/20” in 1984. The first woman since Richard and Pat Nixon.
For more than 50 years, Walters has spoken to world leaders on news programs, spoken at celebrity homes on her regular “Barbara Walters Special”,viewis a daytime talk show where a diverse group of women discuss the latest topics.
Some of the shows she produced were among the most acclaimed of their type and spawned many imitators. It paved the way for The Talk and The Chew, as well as UK’s Loose Women and Norway’s Studio5.
Walters left ‘The View’ in 2014, but remained a part-time contributor for ABC News for two years.
Walters told CNN’s Chris Cuomo at the time, “I knew the time had come.” “I love all the celebrations. It’s great, but in my heart I was like, ‘I want to leave while I’m still doing good work.’ So will I.” ”
Seeing the many women who have looked up to her throughout her career, Walters said they are her legacy.
“How do I say goodbye to 50 years of the television industry?” she said in conclusion. “How proud I am to see all the young women making and reporting the news. If I have done anything to make it happen, it is my legacy. And I can say “thank you” from the bottom of my heart to everyone who watched over me by my side. ”
Walters has been married four times to business executive Robert Katz, producer Lee Guber, and twice to entertainment mogul Marv Adelson. Her second marriage to Adelson she ended in 1992. She survives with her daughter Jackie, whom she and Guber adopted in 1968.
Walters was born in Boston on September 25, 1929. Her father, Lou, was a nightclub owner and theater impresario, and young Barbara grew up around celebrities.
Walters received his college degree from Sarah Lawrence College in 1953.
Notoriously competitive, Walters was obsessed with pursuing big “get” interviews, creating rivalries between her and other ABC news stars, such as Diane Sawyer, who joined the network in 1989. There have been longstanding reports about the relationship. Most recently, it included Jockey for Caitlyn Sawyer landing her first interview with Jenner in 2015.
But Walters was no slouch when it came to landing major interviews involving presidents, world leaders and just about every celebrity imaginable, and had a well-deserved reputation for bringing her subjects to tears. Highlights include a 1999 interview with Monica Lwinski (watched by an average of 48.5 million viewers) and a historic 1977 joint roundtable discussion between Egypt’s Anwar Sadat and Israel’s Menachem Begin. included.
Walter’s first broadcast job was on NBC’s “Today” show in the 1960s, reporting what was then perceived as a “women’s story.” In 1974, she was officially named co-anchor of the show. became the most famous person for a while, signing a then-amazing $1 million a year.
Though her tenure in the role was short-lived – co-anchor Harry Riesner never did her any favors – she laughed for the last time, staying with the network for almost 40 years and starring in the magazine show 20/10. 20” (she and her old “Today” colleague, Hugh Downs), “The View,” countless specials.
She was parodied relentlessly – in the early days of Saturday Night Live, Gilda Radner derided her as the sometimes foul-mouthed “baba wow” – and was richly honored, earning multiple Emmy awards. Awards, a Peabody, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
At times seen as cocky and usually by men who questioned her outspoken attitude, she had no choice but to shrug her shoulders at criticism.
If it’s a woman, it’s acerbic. If it’s a man, it’s an authority. If it’s a woman, it’s too forceful, and if it’s a man, it’s aggressive in the best sense of the word,” she once observed.
The life of Barbara Walters in pictures
