Changes Afoot at 'GMA'

By Stephen M. Silverman

07/24/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Ending weeks of speculation about how the chairs might shift on its No 2-rated a.m. show "Good Morning America," ABC made it official yesterday. The network announced that Jack Ford, Elizabeth Vargas and Nancy Snyderman will serve as substitutes for the show's stars, Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer -- although, ABC is also quick to point out, Gibson and Sawyer are not going far. The duo will also fill the anchor desk on "Primetime Thursday," which accounts for the interference with their day jobs. Ford is expected to sit in for Gibson one day a week, said ABC, while Snyderman will substitute for Sawyer whenever she's on assignment. Otherwise, said ABC News executive Phyllis McGrady in a statement, the stars are "totally committed to the morning program and are still having a wonderful time."