Barbara Walters death: Pioneering journalist who created The View dies aged 93

Trailblazing broadcaster was known for her interviewing skills

Barbara Walters interviewed some of the biggest names in the world, including Fidel Castro, Margaret Thatcher and Saddam Hussein (REUTERS)

Barbara Walters, America’s first female anchor on an evening news broadcast, has died at age 93, her longtime ABC home network said.

She died on Friday at her home in New York, Robert Iger, chief executive of ABC’s corporate parent, the Walt Disney Co, said on Twitter. No more details have been shared yet.

“She will be missed by all of us at The Walt Disney Company, and we send our deepest condolences to her daughter, Jacqueline,” Mr Iger said in a statement.

In a career that spanned five decades, Walters became one of television’s most prominent interviewers and shattered several glass ceilings in an industry once dominated by men.

She interviewed some of the biggest names in the world, including Fidel Castro, Margaret Thatcher, Saddam Hussein and every US president and first lady since Richard and Pat Nixon.

Walters joined ABC News in 1976, becoming the first female anchor on an evening news programme. Three years later, she became a co-host of “20/20”, and in 1997, she launched women’s talk show “The View”.

With 12 Emmy awards to her name, Walters remained an executive producer of the show and continued to do some interviews and specials for ABC News.

She won 12 Emmy awards, 11 of those while at ABC News.

“Barbara was a true legend, a pioneer not just for women in journalism but for journalism itself,” Mr Iger wrote in his statement.

“She was a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state to the biggest celebrities and sports icons.”

“I had the pleasure of calling Barbara a colleague for more than three decades, but more importantly, I was able to call her a dear friend.”

Her final TV appearance was in 2014 as a co-host of “The View” in 2014 after which Walters decided to take a step back and give others a chance.