“Good Morning America” weekend co-anchor Dan Harris has joined ABC News’ late-night news magazine “Nightline” as a co-anchor alongside Cynthia McFadden and Dan Abrams. He replaces Bill Weir, who is leaving ABC for another job in the news business.
Harris first joined ABC News in 2000, and has reported from mass shootings, natural disasters and combat zones, with ABC News president Ben Sherwood calling him “one of our most versatile anchors.” He has also led the network’s coverage on faith, particularly the evangelical movement.
With his new role on the 12:35 a.m. program, Harris will continue to host “GMA,” as he has since 2010. Along with its weekday counterpart, the weekend editions of “GMA” have been growing over NBC’s rival “Today” show, with “GMA Saturday” winning a season for the first time ever in 2012-13 among both total viewers and adults 25-54, the demographic preferred by news advertisers.
Weir had been a co-anchor of “Nightline” since 2010 and joined ABC News in 2004 to launch “GMA” weekend.
Harris marks the second new addition to “Nightline” this year. Abrams, ABC News’ legal affairs anchor, joined the program last June, replacing Terry Moran. “Nightline” shifted back a half-hour last January when “Jimmy Kimmel Live” moved to 11:35 p.m.