Following the news that Terry Moran would be leaving “Nightline” to become chief foreign correspondent for ABC News, the network has named Dan Abrams as chief legal affairs anchor and an anchor for “Nightline.”
In addition to anchoring ABC’s late night news program and reporting on legal issues for the network, he will have an expanded role on “Good morning America,” including a new branded segment.
“Dan brings a passion for news and an entrepreneurial zeal to all of his work,” ABC News president Ben Sherwood wrote in an email to staff. ” Now he’ll have new opportunities to deliver his signature reporting to the Nightline audience, in prime time on ABC’s The Lookout, in the mornings on GMA, and on World News, ABCNews.com, ABC News Radio, and all our platforms.”
Abrams will be stepping back from day-to-day oversight at Abrams Media, which includes Mediaite.com, to devote his attention to ABC. He is a TV news veteran, having previously served as anchor, legal analyst and general manager of MSNBC, and joined ABC News in 2011.
Sherwood’s note, below.
I’m delighted to tell you that Dan Abrams is expanding his role at ABC News, becoming a Nightline anchor and Chief Legal Affairs Anchor for ABC News. In his new role Dan will continue his regular legal segments on Good Morning America, show us a whole new side of his talents with a new branded GMA segment on a wide range of topics, and join the other Nightline anchors on ABC’s The Lookout.
For nearly two decades Dan has delivered clear, incisive and intelligent analysis on television.
He joined ABC News in 2011, and his sharp legal insights immediately had a huge impact on how we understand major court cases and complicated legal questions from Casey Anthony and Jodi Arias to George Zimmerman and the Boston Marathon Bombing.
Dan spent many years at NBC and MSNBC, where he anchored the popular programs “Abrams Report” and “Verdict,” was general manager of MSNBC, and chief legal correspondent for NBC’s Nightly News.
In 2009 Dan founded Abrams Media, which has grown into a collection of eight popular online web properties spanning politics, tech, food, fashion and media. This network of sites, including Mediaite, has consistently shown impressive growth in traffic, now averaging over 17 million unique visitors a month.
The company has hired a new CEO as Dan steps back from daily operations to devote himself full-time to anchoring, reporting and analyzing for ABC News.
Dan brings a passion for news and an entrepreneurial zeal to all of his work. Now he’ll have new opportunities to deliver his signature reporting to the Nightline audience, in prime time on ABC’s The Lookout, in the mornings on GMA, and on World News, ABCNews.com, ABC News Radio, and all our platforms.
Please join me in congratulating Dan on his new role at ABC News.
Ben