Report: Barbara Walters set to retire in 2014
According to multiple reports, including Deadline, Barbara Walters is planning to soon announce her retirement, which would possibly occur in May 2014.
The 84-year-old news veteran will reportedly stay on "The View" through next season to ease the transition through Joy Behar and possibly Elisabeth Hasselbeck's impending departures. And according to sources, her final year as a regular presence on ABC News and "The View" will be filled with tributes to her long and illustrious television news career -- she's had a 52-year broadcast run, and will likely have a send-off similar to that of Oprah Winfrey.
News of Walters' retirement is not totally unexpected. She has had multiple health set-backs in the last few years, including a recent bout with chickenpox that kept her off "The View" for several weeks.
Rumors about Walters' possible retirement were first leaked in December 2011, when TMZ overheard her say to President Obama into an open mic during a break in their interview: "I'm retiring next year." However, ABC News shook it off by saying, "Barbara has joked that she is retiring every year since the Clinton Administration." And, obviously, Walters did not retire last year.
In the meantime we'll just have to sit back and enjoy the view, and wait for Walters to tell us when she's ready.
Tell us: Do you think it's time for Walters to retire, or do you wish she'd stay on the air for years to come?