Is Barbara Walters Retiring Next Year?

Barbara Walters plans to retire next year, ending a television career that made her a trailblazer in news and daytime TV.Someone who works closely with Walters says the plan is for her to retire in May 2014 after a series of special programs saluting her career. The person was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday on condition of anonymity.

Walters is 83. She was hospitalized earlier this year after taking a fall in Washington and for a case of the chickenpox. She created the daytime show "The View" and appears on it semi-regularly as one of the hosts.

Walters was the first woman to anchor a network evening newscast and is known for her celebrity interviews.

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