Keeping Diane Happy

Diane Sawyer is deciding whether to continue her eight-year run on "Good Morning America."

Her departure would be a big blow to "GMA," the most profitable program at ABC News and a show on which she has considerable influence.

The uncertainty about her next move has caused considerable anxiety among ABC officials, who are not eager to see her leave "GMA" on the heels of her longtime co-anchor Charles Gibson, who switched over to the evening newscast last spring.

Executives fret that "GMA" would founder without her, especially as the program is still finding its footing since the arrival of two new on-air hires this season: news anchor Chris Cuomo and weatherman Sam Champion. Anchor Robin Roberts has been in her post since May 2005 but has a lower profile than her well-known co-host.

Sawyer has two more years on her ABC contract, but her obligation to "GMA" is less explicit. She originally joined the show in 1999 with Gibson on a temporary basis to help shore up the second-place program, a status that has not technically changed.

As network executives nervously await Sawyer's move, they have sought to emphasize her value to the network. One project in the works, though its timing is uncertain: a marketing campaign that would showcase the anchor's body of work, including her reporting from North Korea last fall, according to sources familiar with the plans.

Many ABC insiders regard the plan for promotional spots, which would not include the rest of the "GMA" team, as an effort to stress the network's appreciation of the longtime broadcaster.

"It's SOS — saving our Sawyer," said a source familiar with internal discussions, who — like others knowledgeable about the state of affairs — declined to be named because of the situation's sensitivity.

"Everything they are doing is designed to keep her, to make her happy."