EXCLUSIVE: Barbara Walters, Who? ABC Execs 'Erase' Iconic Broadcaster's Name From Headquarters Nearly Three Years After Her Death – 'It's Like She Never Existed'
Barbara Walters' name is no more at the ABC headquarters where she made her name.
Aug. 15 2025, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
Legendary newswoman Barbara Walters may have made history, but ABC just rewrote it.
In a move sparking newsroom outrage, ABC has scrubbed the iconic broadcaster's name from parent company Disney's new headquarters – a decade after the network proudly christened its Upper West Side hub the Barbara Walters Building with a plaque as a tribute to the woman who shattered glass ceilings with a perfectly coiffed bob and the sharpest questions, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Walters' Legacy Booted
Disney CEO Robert Iger now headlines ABC's new HQ as Walters' has name disappeared.
Now, Walters' name has vanished from the marquee as Disney relocates downtown. The new digs are dubbed the Robert A. Iger Building, named after the Disney CEO.
"It's like she never existed," one veteran staffer told Straight Shuter. "They replaced a journalism icon with a corporate boss."
Inside ABC, whispers of betrayal are gaining in volume.
What's Next For Walters' Plaque?
ABC insiders slammed the network for erasing Walters' legacy in its downtown move.
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"Barbara built this place," said another insider. "She asked the tough questions – and now we’re just supposed to forget her?"
While execs spin the relocation as part of a "modernization effort," critics call it a byline blackout.
No comment yet from Walters' family, but a former producer summed it up: "Barbara gave them her name. Now they've given it back, without even saying thank you."
A top ABC source added the plaque is being kept in a box in the new building while execs decide what to do with it.
