Barbara Fedida

Barbara Fedida is an American television executive who worked at ABC News.[4][5][6][7]

Barbara Fedida
Born
Queens County, New York, United States[1]
NationalityAmerican
Alma materNew York University (BA 1988)[1]
OccupationMedia executive
Years active1988–present[1]
OrganizationABC News
TitleSenior Vice President, ABC News[1]
Term2011–present[2]
Spouse(s)Andrew Brill[2]
Children3[2]
Website[3]

During her career, Fedida has been recognized with Emmy, Dupont, Murrow, and Peabody awards.[2] At ABC, Fedida oversaw the network's diversity and inclusion efforts,[8] and was responsible for hiring and developing all anchors and correspondents for ABC News programs and bureaus worldwide[7]

Previously, Fedida worked for five years as the head of talent development at CBS News from 2006 to 2011.[9]

On July 20, 2020, ABC cut ties with Fedida for allegedly making racially insensitive comments in the workplace.[9][10]

Early life

Fedida was born in Queens, New York where she lived until her family moved to Merrick, New York in 1972. She is the daughter of Abner and Renee (née Elfassy) Fedida from Casablanca, Morocco. Fedida's parents and five siblings immigrated to America from Morocco in 1959.[11] Fedida graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, New York.

Fedida attended New York University (NYU), where she was a Student senator for two years and student commencement speaker.[2] While at NYU, she interned for the Alan Colmes Show on WNBC and at Late Night with David Letterman.

Career

Fedida started at ABC as a production secretary for Peter Jennings documentary unit Peter Jennings Reporting in August 1989, after working at CBS News magazine West 57th.

During her time at ABC, she worked on DayOne, where she was nominated for an Emmy Award for a story about Tara Schaeffer, the first Sesame Street cast member with disabilities. She also was a senior producer on the "Networks Millennium" special, which aired for 23 hours and won a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award.[7]

Fedida worked on World News Tonight with Jennings and produced many of his children's specials, including a special about the September 11 attacks. The 9/11 special won many awards, including a DuPont and an Emmy.[7] She was also a producer on Peter Jennings: Reporter, the tribute to Jennings produced by his producers upon his death in August 2005.[12]

Fedida left ABC to join CBS News in 2006. There she won a DuPont for her work on Children of the Recession.[13] She returned to ABC in March 2011.

Fedida is credited with changing the face of ABC News, with an aggressive hiring strategy focused on women and people of color. She hired Michael Strahan, Byron Pitts, Cecilia Vega, Tom Llamas, Rachel Scott, Marcus Moore, Alex Perez, Victor Oquendo, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, Sara Haines, Rebecca Jarvis, Amy Robach, among many others. When Barbara started at ABC News in March 2011, the on-air team was 70 percent white. When she left in the summer of 2020, it was 50 percent people of color, with many in prominent roles.[7] She also started the ABC News Fellows program.[7]

Fedida oversaw the remake of The View after Barbara Walters' retirement and was part of the team that made the show among the most watched daytime talkers during the 2020 election cycle. The show was called "the most important political TV show in America" by The New York Times Magazine in May 2019.[14]

While at ABC News, the news division won the Edward R. Murrow award for overall excellence three consecutive times.[15]

Personal life

Fedida married Andrew Brill in a Jewish ceremony in June 1992. They have three children. Fedida sits on the board of trustees of Central Synagogue.[2]

Fedida is on the board advisors of Urban Garage.[2] Fedida volunteers her time at National Dance Institute, where all three of her children were part of the Celebration Team. She sits on the board of advisors for the Dan Patrick School of Sportscasting at Full Sail University.[16]

References
  1. "Diversity Woman | Barbara Fedida". Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  2. "Central Synagogue". www.centralsynagogue.org. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  3. "Sherwood Names Fedida, Ruffolo and Mercandetti to Senior Posts at ABC News". ABC News.
  4. "Post Gazette".
  5. "ABC News exec put on leave over comments about Robin Roberts, other Black colleagues". Los Angeles Times.
  6. "Barbara Fedida".
  7. "Barbara Fedida". ABC News.
  8. "At ABC News, Toxicity Thrives". Huffington Post.
  9. "Disney Cuts Ties With ABC News Executive". New York Times.
  10. "ABC News executive Barbara Fedida on leave". USA Today.
  11. "Paid Notice: Deaths FEDIDA, ABNER". New York Times.
  12. "Peter Jennings: Reporter". The Documentary Group.
  13. ""Children of the Recession", CBS Reports: duPont-Columbia Award Winner 2010".
  14. "How 'The View' Became the Most Important Political TV Show in America". New York Times.
  15. "ABC News Recognized with Murrow Awards for Overall Excellence in Both Television and Radio". ABC News.
  16. "Full Sale University".
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