ABC’s Diane Sawyer heads to Afghanistan for ‘World News,’ traveling with top US commander

ABC’s Sawyer heads to Afghanistan

PASADENA, Calif. — Diane Sawyer is in Afghanistan, her first overseas trip as anchor of ABC’s “World News.”

She’ll anchor from Kabul Monday and Tuesday, and travel with the top U.S. commander there, Gen. Stanley McChrystal. ABC “Good Morning America Weekend” host Bill Weir has been embedded with U.S. forces and will also be delivering reports.

ABC says its survey of Afghans found hopes for the future have dramatically improved.

Sawyer’s trip is an indication that she’s likely to travel more than Charles Gibson, whom she replaced as anchor last month.

Meanwhile, the Nielsen Co. said that Sawyer’s chief competitor, the Brian Williams-anchored “Nightly News” on NBC, averaged 10.7 million viewers last week. That’s the biggest weekly audience in four years, and beat ABC by 1.3 million.

ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.; NBC is a unit of General Electric Co.