BOSTON -- After more than three years as an anchor and reporter for WCVB-TV's NewsCenter 5, David Muir has been hired by ABC News as an anchor of World News Now and World News This Morning. Beginning in August 2003, Muir will relocate to ABC News' New York headquarters as both an anchor and correspondent.

Muir began his tenure at WCVB in May 2000 as an anchor and general assignment reporter. Currently, he serves as co-anchor of the Saturday and Sunday editions of NewsCenter 5 at 6 and 11 p.m. In addition, he substitutes as an anchor for the weeknight newscasts.

During his time at Channel 5, Muir was a member of NewsCenter 5's award-winning investigative team which won the regional Edward R. Murrow award, the National Headliner Award and Associated Press honors for work tracing the path of the September 11 terrorists to Boston's Logan Airport. He also traveled to Doha, Qatar, during the 2003 Iraq war to report for WCVB and other Hearst-Argyle stations nationwide.

"While we will miss David's valuable contributions to NewsCenter 5, this is a wonderful opportunity for him. ABC News will benefit from his reportorial skills and ability as an anchor," said WCVB News Director Coleen Marren. "Viewers will be pleased to know that David will still be seen on Channel 5. In fact, he'll kick-off the mornings from the ABC World News Now desk each weekday at 3:05 a.m. and continue with ABC World News This Morning leading into NewsCenter 5's EyeOpener at 5 a.m."

Muir's move follows a long tradition of NewsCenter 5 reporters tapped for national positions. With his transition to network news, Muir joins former WCVB journalists including Martha Raddatz (ABC), Byron Pitts (CBS), Ron Allen (NBC), Dan Lothian (CNN), Mike Taibbi (NBC), Bill O'Reilly (Fox News), Keith Olbermann (MSNBC), Jay Schadler (ABC), Dawn Fratangelo (NBC) and Arthur Miller (formerly ABC). Today, Channel 5 continues to tap the expertise of Miller and Dr. Timothy Johnson who serves as medical editor for both WCVB and ABC News.

Muir's last day at WCVB will be July 23.