Good Morning America Co-Anchor
1983 graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University
Robin Roberts is anchor of ABC's "Good Morning America." Under her leadership, the broadcast has won three consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Morning program.
When not traveling around the country or the world covering breaking news events, Roberts is at "GMA's" studio in Times Square conducting interviews with a diverse group of newsmakers.
Roberts has also done extensive reporting around the globe. She traveled
to the Middle East with former First Lady Laura Bush, who was on a
mission to raise awareness about breast cancer in the Muslim world; to
Africa with former President Bill Clinton for a first- hand look at the
AIDS crisis in that part of the world; and to Mexico, where she scaled
the Mayan Pyramids as part of "GMA's" "The New 7 Wonders of the World"
series.
Roberts also broadcast live from inside the Centers for
Disease Control in Atlanta in October 2009. It was the first time
television cameras were permitted inside the CDC's special command
center tracking the H1N1 "swine flu" virus.
In November 2009,
Roberts hosted her first primetime special, "In the Spotlight with Robin
Roberts: Bright Lights. Big Stars. All Access Nashville." The special
took Roberts to Nashville, where she interviewed some of country music's
biggest stars. She followed that with another primetime hour featuring
an exclusive interview with Janet Jackson, the performer's first since
the death of her brother, Michael.
Roberts played an active role
in ABC News' coverage of the 2008 presidential race. She interviewed the
candidates and a wide-range of political newsmakers for "GMA;" traveled
to Des Moines, Iowa to moderate a town hall debate with then-candidate
Hillary Clinton; and reported live from Washington, D.C. on Inauguration
Day. Roberts was the first journalist to interview President Barack
Obama after he was sworn in as President. Roberts also traveled the
country by train with the "GMA" team as part of the network's ambitious
"50 States in 50 Days" initiative in September 2008.
Roberts was
diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2007. Her courageous and public
battle has been recognized with awards and honors from organizations
around the country, including: The Susan G. Komen Foundation; The
Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program; and Gilda's Club, a
non-profit organization founded by the late Joel Siegel.
In
August 2005, Roberts found her personal and professional lives collide
when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans and the
Mississippi Gulf Coast – a part of the country Roberts called home for
most of her life. In the days following, Roberts traveled to the
hurricane zone and reported live amid the devastation of the storm. She
also launched "GMA Gets It Done," a year-long effort to rebuild Roberts'
hometown of Pass Christian, Miss. Roberts has returned to the Gulf
Coast numerous times in the ensuing years to update viewers on how
residents and businesses in the region are recovering post-Katrina.
Roberts
was named co-anchor of "Good Morning America" in May 2005. She began
contributing to the morning program in June 1995 and has worked in
broadcasting for more than 20 years.
From 1990 to 2005, Roberts
was a contributor to ESPN, where she was one of the network's most
versatile commentators. Her assignments there included hosting
"SportsCenter" and contributing to "NFL PrimeTime."
Prior to her
work at ESPN, Roberts was a sports reporter and anchor at WAGA-TV in
Atlanta. She was also a morning personality on WVEE-FM, Atlanta's
top-rated morning show. From 1986 to 1988, Roberts served as sports
anchor and reporter for WSMV-TV in Nashville, Tenn. where she won the
"Nashville Scene" Sportscaster of the Year Award in 1987. She also
worked as a sports anchor and reporter at WLOX-TV in Biloxi, MS from
1984 to 1986 and WDAM-TV in Hattiesburg, Miss. from 1983 to 1984.
Roberts
began her broadcasting career while in college at WHMD/WFPR Radio in
Hammond, La. where she was the sports director. Roberts also served as a
special assignment sports reporter for KSLU-FM in 1982.
In 1983,
Roberts graduated cum laude from Southeastern Louisiana University with
a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. She was a standout
performer on the women's basketball team, ending her career as the
school's all-time leading scorer ( 1,446 points) and rebounder (1,034).
Roberts is one of only three Lady Lions to score 1,000 career points and
grab 1,000 career rebounds. During her senior season, she averaged a
career high 15.2 points per game.
In 2001, Roberts was named a
"Louisiana Legend" by Louisiana Public Broadcasting. She was also named
to the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Advisory Board in January 1998, a
board that includes Henry Kissinger, William Simon, Christine Whitman
and Lamar Hunt. In 1994, she was inducted in the Women's Institute on
Sport and the Education Foundation's Hall of Fame. She is also active as
a speaker for charity and civic functions.
In March 2007,
Roberts' first book, "From the Heart: 7 Rules to Live By," was published
by Hyperion. An updated version of the book, including an additional
chapter on her battle with breast cancer, was released in 2008.
Roberts
is a native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and currently resides in New
York City.