Charles Gibson, Katie Couric, Tom Brokaw and Barbara Walters way back when, and now Diane Sawyer -- all morning-show hosts who made the leap to anchoring their networks' evening newscasts.

Sawyer takes over ABC World News in January, when Gibson retires as just announced by ABC.

So it's interesting to see that career path becoming almost de rigeuer now. Evening anchors used to come out of the reporting ranks. Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, Bernard Shaw and Brian Williams all worked the White House or foreign correspondent job first. Now anchors are chosen less for their news chops -- no offense, Diane, we know you've got the goods -- than for their "presentation" polish.

Walter Cronkite would never get the gig today.