‘The View’: Barbara Walters planning to reportedly retire next spring

After more than 50 years in the field of television journalism, it looks like Barbara Walters may finally be ready to say farewell. According to a new report from Deadline, the longtime reporter, anchor, and creator of “The View” is planning to retire at the end of the 2013-14 season in May, and ABC is already doing everything that they can to make preparations for it.

If this report ends up sticking, it will hardly not come as a surprise given that Walters has long been the subject of speculation when it comes to her future, and t stems from claims by TMZ all the way back in 2011 that she told President Obama that she was planning retirement in order to land another interview with him before she does. It’s also hard to imagine that Walters could somehow accomplish any more for her career than she already has, given that she is a trailblazer for women in entertainment journalism and has spoken with more big names than almost anyone living in her field.

Of course, this means that we can probably expect all sorts of televised tributes to Walters’ work over the next year, though it is unclear as to whether or not she will be leaving TV permanently, or will still make sporadic appearances on “The View” or her “Most Fascinating People of the Year” special. Regardless of what happens, the good news is that it looks as though ABC is going to have a little bit of time in order to find a replacement, which we are sure is not going to be particularly easy given the tremendous impact she has had on the medium.

If this really is the end of Walters, just how much do you think that she will be missed? If you want to read some confirmed news about Joy Behar’s departure from “The View,” you can do so over here.

Photo: ABC