Paula Zahn Quits ABC, May Be Headed to CBS

ABC News anchor Paula Zahn, who may soon be the new co-anchor of bottom-rated “CBS This Morning,” bid goodby today to her colleagues on ABC’s top-rated “Good Morning America.”

Her farewell, made as she finished the news segments she anchors in the program, apparently caught both ABC and CBS officials by surprise.

CBS had no immediate comment. ABC News President Roone Arledge released a brief statement praising Zahn’s contribution and said, “We wish her all the best in her new assignment.”

A source familiar with the negotiations said Zahn’s contract expired today. ABC had the right to make a counteroffer to any other network’s offer for Zahn but did not do so, the source said.

A move by Zahn to CBS has been expected since the agent for “CBS This Morning” co-anchor Kathleen Sullivan said last week that CBS is taking Sullivan off that show.

There have been reports that Zahn will replace her, although her agent, Richard Leibner, has declined to comment. He did not return a reporter’s phone call today.

Zahn, who has co-anchored ABC’s “World News This Morning” and the news segments of “Good Morning America” since May, 1988, made no reference to the rival CBS program in her on-air farewell today.

“This is my last day, unfortunately,” she said after “Good Morning America” co-host Charles Gibson said she was leaving and called it “a bittersweet occasion.”

“I have a wonderful opportunity to go into,” she said. “The details are being worked out at this moment, so we can’t really talk specifically what they are about. You can expect the announcement soon.”

She said it has been “an absolute pleasure” working at ABC News, which she joined in 1987. She previously was an anchor and reporter at KCBS in Los Angeles.