Ticker: ABC News to Offer Special Coverage of the Oscars

Top of the Ticker: ABC News will offer special coverage leading into the 97th Oscars on Sunday, March 2. On Friday, Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts will host the primetime special, Countdown to the Oscars with Robin Roberts: A Special Edition of 20/20 at 8 p.m. ET. GMA’s Lara Spencer has been on the ground in Los Angeles since Wednesday providing a preview of the behind-the-scenes Oscar prep.

Meanwhile, GMA Weekend morning anchor Whit Johnson will be on-site for special GMA segments throughout the weekend. GMA will also mark its 50th anniversary with a look back at its extensive coverage of the Oscars. Finally, GMA Oscar’s After-Party broadcast will be live from Hollywood and New York City on March 3.

On the streaming side, ABC News Live will go live from the red carpet at 4 p.m. ET with anchor Kayna Whitworth and continue through Prime with Linsey Davis. World News Tonight, Nightline, This Week with George Stephanopolous and ABC News Radio will also pitch in on Oscars coverage.

Grab your popcorn – we’re getting ready for Hollywood’s biggest night! Robin Roberts gives us a sneak peek at Friday’s “20/20” special counting down to the #Oscars! Join us Friday at 8/7c on ABC. Stream on Hulu. @hulu @RobinRoberts https://t.co/h9SvoepOIf pic.twitter.com/PiauimMbmJ

— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) February 27, 2025

Global Focus: BBC News is repositioning itself to provide better international news coverage by appointing six regional directors in Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Central and South Asia, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa. These directors are set to be named in the coming months and will be tasked with growing regional audiences. In a statement, the news organization said the appointments will “strengthen BBC News’ ability to serve audiences with independent and impartial news, to counter disinformation and to deliver our editorial priorities, with accountability and clarity at the centre of the plan.”

📣@BBCNews announces new international model to focus on growth.

The changes will strengthen BBC News’ ability to serve audiences independent and impartial news, counter disinformation, and deliver on editorial priorities.

More➡️ https://t.co/CaCVq9Gw5G pic.twitter.com/uUBWh8SM8B

— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) February 26, 2025

Online Beef: Joy Reid’s sudden departure from MSNBC has caused two former cable news personalities to engage in an online spat. Former Fox News primetime host, Megyn Kelly called Reid, “the absolute worst person on television,” in an online post. That comment prompted former CNN anchor Don Lemon to come to Reid’s defense saying on his digital show. “No, the worst person on television was fired from NBC and the ‘Today’ show a few years ago, and that’s Megyn Kelly,” Lemon said. Lemon noted on his show, that “someone had to stand up” on behalf of Reid, who has not publicly responded to Kelly’s comments.

Streaming Shift: Ad-supported subscribers on the Max streaming service will have to switch to the more costly ad-free tiers beginning March 30 if they want to continue watching CNN Max. According to TechCrunch, the move—which also affects Bleacher Report Sports—is seen as Warner Bros. Discovery’s recognition about the value of live content. CNN Max’s programming will not be affected by this switch.