Vargas will replace Walters

While ABC’s entertainment division was unveiling its fall lineup Tuesday, the news division had a few announcements of its own, starting with veteran correspondent and anchor Elizabeth Vargas being named to replace Barbara Walters as co-host of “20/20” in September.

Vargas, who has been anchoring the Sunday edition of “World News Tonight” since November, will join John Stossel on the long-running newsmagazine. Walters is cutting back on her workload but will anchor at least five prime-time specials a year.

Meanwhile, the network said its “Primetime” newsmagazine would return to its original title, “Primetime Live,” with Chris Cuomo, Cynthia McFadden and John Quinones joining Diane Sawyer and Charles Gibson as anchors.

Other ABC News announcements: Martin Bashir, best known for his 2003 interview for the British documentary “Living With Michael Jackson,” has been hired as a correspondent for “20/20,” and Bill Weir, a former sports reporter at KABC-TV Channel 7, was named co-anchor of the weekend edition of “Good Morning America.”

From a Times staff writer