On September 25, 1929, Barbara Walters was born and grew up to become the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program. Known for her personable interview style and keen eye for journalism, Walters laid the groundwork for women to find a more welcome spot in TV news.
Born in Boston, MA, to a night club-owning father and housewife mother, after graduating from Sarah Lawrence College in 1953, Walters landed a job as a PR staffer and then producer at a local NBC station. After working as a researcher and writer for NBC’s “TODAY Show,” in 1964 she scored the hosting job as the “TODAY Girl,” the term they used for female hosts at the time. Even though she technically was the co-host for a decade, Walters finally got the official title in 1974 and became a household name. Offered an unprecedented $1 million annual salary by ABC in 1976, Walters became the first female co-anchor of a network news program and even moderated the final presidential debate between Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford.
Although Walters was breaking broadcasting boundaries, it was not without pushback. Her co-anchor, Harry Reasoner, openly patronized Walter — “mansplaining” before there was a word for it. Critics questioned her credibility as a journalist and comedian Gilda Radner parodied her minor speech impediment on “Saturday Night Live.” After two years of poor ratings, Walters moved to co-host another ABC program, “20/20.” By September 2000, Walters was such a popular news personality that she renewed her contract with ABC for an unprecedented annual salary of $12 million. In her must-see TV specials, she interviewed a who’s who list of 20th and 21st century history-makers — everyone from the Dalai Lama and Fidel Castro to Monica Lewinsky.
Although she officially retired from TV journalism in 2013, her popular morning talk show, “The View,” continues to air — and make headlines — since its 1997 debut. In her day, Walters confronted the firmly entrenched patriarchy in journalism. Since there are still glass ceilings to break, Walters’ advice still rings true: “This is what I tell, especially young women, fight the big fights. Don’t fight the little fight… Be the first one in, be the last one out. Do your homework, choose your battles. Don’t whine, and don’t be the one who complains about everything. Fight the big fight.”