ABC gives Roberts prime-time spotlight

NEW YORK (AP) — Robin Roberts is comfortable in the knowledge that when ABC's “Good Morning America” makeover is complete, she will keep her seat at the anchor desk. She just doesn't know who will be sitting next to her.

As she waits, ABC is showing her some love. Roberts, 48, is the centerpiece for two prime-time specials this month: an hour tonight featuring country music stars and an interview with Janet Jackson that will air Nov. 18. The Jackson interview is the type of “get” for which Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters used to compete.

The specials could be read as signs of Roberts' importance to the news division. She's worked at ABC News or cable sister ESPN since 1990, and her contract expires in the spring.

ABC News President David Westin expects to choose Diane Sawyer's replacement as “GMA” anchor in December. Sawyer is taking over for Charles Gibson at “World News” at year's end.

Two people thought to be contenders — George Stephanopoulos and Chris Cuomo — have filled in as co-anchors in recent weeks.

Roberts is preparing for her Jackson interview, which will be filmed at the singer's home in Malibu, Calif.

She has a difficult balancing act. Jackson is still mourning the death of her brother Michael, a story that continues to fascinate the public. But she's also a major star in her own right, with a greatest hits CD coming out in time for the holidays.

Roberts said she hasn't determined how much of the interview would be related to Michael Jackson.

“I don't go in with a stack of questions and say three-quarters are going to be about this and one-quarter will be about that,” she said. “I like to have a conversation.”'

Same thing with the country music stars. Her “All Access Nashville” special at 9 tonight features interviews with Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Loretta Lynn, Rosanne Cash and Vince Gill. She asks President Barack Obama, among others, about their favorite country tunes, bowls with Underwood and goes skeet shooting with McGraw.

It sounds simple, but one of the things she's proud of in the special is being able to smoothly work in some questions to Underwood about the singer's boyfriend. She doesn't like asking personal questions, which are necessary when you're promising a peek backstage at stars.

That's because she tends to be a private person in a public job. Roberts talked on ABC about her fight with breast cancer and how Hurricane Katrina affected her family on the Gulf Coast.

When you're on TV every morning, it's hard to hide your heritage, or not address it when your hair is falling out because of cancer treatment. Otherwise, she concentrates on the work.

For those reasons, Roberts said it was difficult speaking to McGraw about his family and abuse he witnessed as a child because she didn't want the interview to feel like it was done only to sell headlines.

“I think that's why I work so well with some celebrities,” she said, “because they understand I understand exactly where they're coming from.”