Debra OConnell, president, News Group and Networks, Disney Entertainment, has announced that Almin Karamehmedovic as the new president of ABC News. Karamehmedovic will be reporting to OConnell.
“Almin has devoted his career to ABC News, mastering every role and elevating excellence in journalism by connecting with viewers in a very meaningful and profound way that resonates with them,” OConnell said. “He is a widely respected, seasoned journalist of the highest order who has worked his way up to senior executive producer of World News Tonight with David Muir, earning the trust of colleagues and industry peers along the way. I have no doubt ABC News will reach new heights under his leadership.”
In this new role, Karamehmedovic will oversee ABC News. This network is currently the #1 news network. He will be charged with overseeing some iconic and award-winning shows that come from the division. This will include leading ABC News ratings leaders like World News Tonight with David Muir, Good Morning America, The View, 20/20, and Nightline, as well as ABC News Live, ABC News Studios and special events coverage.
“I approach this role with great respect and humility, not only for the hundreds of colleagues around the world whose tireless contributions fuel the unflinching and unbiased reporting of ABC News but also for the viewers we serve,” Karamehmedovic said. “Our team represents the best in journalism. We are grateful to have Debra OConnell, who sets the bar for all of us in a meaningful and supportive way that enables us to thrive in a profession we revere and love.”
This is a promotion for Karamehmedovic who previously oversaw production and all daily operations of World News Tonight with David Muir. This is the most-watched newscast in America on broadcast and cable. It also is often the #1 program on all of television, since August 2015. Since January 2022, his purview also included News Content Development, including short- and long-form projects on streaming and broadcast. This saw his role expand from executive producer to senior executive producer.
Karamehmedovic has led World News Tonight with David Muir for eight straight years as the #1 evening newscast in Total Viewers. The program also ranks #1 in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 for five consecutive seasons.
Before leading World News Tonight with David Muir, Karamehmedovic was the executive producer of Nightline, ABC News’ late-night flagship newsmagazine. He was also the executive producer for Nightline in primetime for two consecutive season along with multiple ABC primetime hours, 20/20 specials, and ongoing breaking news special report.
About Almin Karamehmedovic
Karamehmedovic joined ABC News as a freelance video editor based in London in 1998. Three years later, he was one of the first journalists to gain access to Tora Bora, Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden was hiding. In 2003, he embedded with the U.S. Army during the invasion of Iraq, and in 2005, he was one of the first journalists to travel to Darfur/Sudan to report on the genocide. The following year he covered the war in Southern Lebanon and in 2010 was one of the first to arrive in Haiti following the devastating earthquake. More recently, Karamehmedovic returned to Al Anbar in Iraq to document the fight against ISIS and traveled to the frontlines of Afghanistan. He has been to Auschwitz with survivors of the Holocaust 75 years later; to Normandy with America’s heroes; and to Madagascar to report on the children of climate change.
After he moved to New York and joined Nightline in 2008, Karamehmedovic traveled the world producing notable pieces for the program, including living among the Indigenous people of the Enawene Nawe tribe in the remote and uncivilized Amazon; detailing the ongoing Mexican drug wars; and exposing American pedophiles permitted to leave the United States and abuse children in Cambodia.
Karamehmedovic was part of the first wave of producers trained to shoot, produce, edit and broadcast from anywhere in the world. He has used those abilities to great effect at ABC News, infusing many reports with an intimacy and immediacy that brings viewers closer to the heart of a story. He has traveled to more than 100 countries and is the recipient of the prestigious DuPont Award, as well as 16 Emmys®, nine Edward R. Murrow Awards, two Christopher Awards and a Peabody Award.
Karamehmedovic graduated from the University of Greenwich in London.
The appointment of Karamehmedovic as president of ABC News comes after the departure of Kim Godwin. Godwin was a former CBS executive who led ABC News with a very “hands off” approach. Many felt that this left the segment rudderless. Karamehmedovic, on the other hand, is known for his roll-up-your-sleeves approach that saw him often joining correspondents he produced in the field.
Karamehmedovic’s new role comes as The Walt Disney Company looks to lean into its streaming properties as consumers continue to move away from traditional linear television. Leaning into digital and streaming will be a part of the future of ABC News. Disney leadership will hope that the success that Karamehmedovic has had with World News Tonight with David Muir will translate to the full network.
