Barbara Walters, Pioneering TV Newscaster, Dies At 93: Reports

NEW YORK, NY — Barbara Walters, the pioneering TV newscaster, has died, according to ABC News. She was 93.

Her cause of death wasn't immediately known. TMZ reported she died Friday in New York City.

Walters in 1976 became the first female network news anchor, earning an unprecedented $1 million annual salary, according to AP.

Walters spent more than three decades at ABC, and before that at NBC. She became well-known for her exclusive interviews with the famous and powerful, bringing her celebrity status that ranked with theirs.

“I never expected this!” Walters said in 2004, reflecting on her success. “I always thought I’d be a writer for television. I never even thought I’d be in front of a camera.”

She told AP four years later she had "no fear" when it came to interviewing.

“I’m not afraid when I’m interviewing, I have no fear!” Walters said.

In 1963, Walters appeared on-air to report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

She would win 12 Emmy Awards over her illustrious career, 11 of which came at ABC News.

She created and appeared on a daytime ABC talk show, “The View," taping her final appearance in 2014, and marking the end of her TV career on television, though she later hosted occasional specials.

"I do not want to appear on another program or climb another mountain," Walters said at the time, according to ABC News. "I want instead to sit on a sunny field and admire the very gifted women — and OK, some men too — who will be taking my place."

Born Sept. 25, 1929, in Boston to Dena and Louis "Lou" Walters, Barbara Jill Walters grew up around the rich and famous, according to ABC. Her father was a booking agent and nightclub producer who discovered comedians Fred Allen and Jack Haley, who portrayed the Tin Man in "The Wizard of Oz."

Walters had two siblings, including her older sister Jacqueline, who was born with developmental disabilities and died in 1985. In her memoir, Walters credited her sister for her drive for success.

"Her condition also altered my life," Walters wrote. "I think I knew from a very early age that at some point Jackie would become my responsibility. That awareness was one of the main reasons I was driven to work so hard. But my feelings went beyond financial responsibility."

Walters is survived by her only daughter, Jacqueline Danforth.

Tributes poured in on social media to remember the pioneering broadcaster.

Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, called Walters a "true legend" and "pioneer not just for women in journalism but for journalism itself."

"She was a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state and leaders of regimes to the biggest celebrities and sports icons," Iger said in a statement. "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."

Bernice King, a lawyer, minister, and the youngest child of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, tweeted: "Farewell and rest well, #BarbaraWalters. Thank you for your courage to blaze trails and have difficult conversations that mattered."

Fellow newscaster Robin Roberts, anchor of ABC's "Good Morning America," called Walters a "true trailblazer."

"Forever grateful for her stellar example and for her friendship. Sending condolences to her daughter and family."

The Associated Press contributed reporting.