Popular news actor Barbara Walters dies at 93

Her spokeswoman confirmed to CNN that Barbara Walters, a pioneering TV journalist whose talent for interviewing people made her one of the most well-known figures in media, has passed away. She was 93.

"Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones. She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists but for all women," Walters' spokesperson Cindi Berger said.

Before being promoted to co-host in 1974, Walters started her career in national broadcasting in 1961 as a reporter, writer, and panelist for NBC's "Today" show. As the first female nightly news anchor, Walters joined ABC News in 1976.

Before joining ABC News as a co-host and correspondent for "20/20" in 1984, Walters launched "The Barbara Walters Specials" and "10 Most Fascinating People" on that network. She spoke with every US president and first lady since Richard and Pat Nixon along the way.

With her frequent "Barbara Walters Specials" in celebrities' homes or on "The View," a daytime discussion show where a varied panel of women analyze the most recent events, Walters was a name to be reckoned with for more than five decades.

Her programs—some of which she produced—were among the most popular of their kind and inspired a number of copycats. The American chat shows "The Talk" and "The Chew," as well as international entries like Britain's "Loose Women" and Norway's "Studio5", were all made possible by "The View," which made its debut in 1997.

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