ABC News faces a tough choice in the next several weeks. Its executives need to settle soon on a successor to Peter Jennings, who died in August but hadn’t anchored “World News Tonight” since he disclosed a diagnosis for lung cancer last winter. Until now, it would have seemed inappropriate to discuss a successor to Jennings, but the recent memorial service gave some closure to the grieving period for the uncommonly gifted and sorely missed anchorman. No matter who takes the job, no one will ever match Jennings’s gifts at connecting with the audience in live situations. Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw (or, for that matter, the still vibrant Walter Cronkite) each had their strengths in the job, but none could command attention and trust as consistently – and for as long – as Jennings did.

What now? The choice that appeals to me most is the one that will never happen: Diane Sawyer.

I realize Ms. Sawyer will never take the job, nor will the network even ask her to. There’s something so right – and hugely profitable – about her current assignment as co-host of “Good Morning America” that the network can’t risk ruining it. The blond goddess has found her niche on morning television, where she radiates an abundance of charm and, when necessary, adds even a smidgen of folksiness. Her byplay with Charlie Gibson has the same mix of rivalry, respect, and humor that kept the Gumbel-Pauley “Today” show so hot for so long. Robin Roberts adds her own sisterly quality to the family, which is rounded out nicely by the friendly weatherman, Tony Perkins. There’s something warmer about Ms. Sawyer’s “GMA” than the ice queen Katie Couric’s “Today.” I loved Matt Lauer’s edgy interview with Tom Cruise, but most days he remains a celebrity sycophant alongside Ms. Couric’s phony-friendly demeanor. They’re the couple that wouldn’t leave.

I’ve come to respect Ms. Sawyer’s commitment to shaking things up. If she took over “World News Tonight,” viewers could expect to see quickly changes and major improvements. She was raised by a tough Kentucky mom to believe in supremely high standards, and she applies them equally to herself and the world around her. That’s what viewers need from her, really: her producing skills. It’s her commitment to coverage and excellence, behind the scenes, that would valuable to ABC News – more than her skill at anchoring in a moment of crisis.

When it comes to being that authority – the face we turn to for comfort – there’s no question that her “GMA” partner, Charlie Gibson, excels. He’s a natural on-screen presence, and has the necessary stature. His winning smile would serve him well in a job where appearances do matter; the competition includes the considerably cuter Brian Williams. Yes, he is 63 years old, but that still makes him far younger than Bob Schieffer, who’s anchoring the CBS broadcast until a better idea comes along. Mr. Gibson could give ABC plenty of time to look around for its next successor. Plus he wants the job more than any of his colleagues, including Ms. Sawyer – and there’s something to be said for picking the person who wants it the most.

But Mr. Gibson’s comparatively bland personality won’t help, and he doesn’t have Jennings’s edge or reportorial skill. More important, he would break up a winning team if he moved permanently off of “GMA”; together, he and Ms. Sawyer have helped buoy the show’s ratings to the point where it threatens to pass the long-reigning “Today” show. Since joining the show together in January of 1999, the Gibson-Sawyer team has returned hundreds of millions of dollars in profits to the network. Can ABC afford to risk losing that revenue? Probably not.

From ABC’s use of Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff as regular substitutes for Jennings, it’s clear that both remain in the running for the anchor job, too. Ms. Vargas has her share of advantages: She’s an attractive Hispanic woman with considerable experience. But there’s just one little problem: She’s not that good. You need an anchor that drives the newscast, and too often I get the feeling the news overwhelms her. With fierce, overconfident competition coming from Mr. Williams, ABC News can’t afford to settle for something weak. The same holds for Mr. Woodruff, who looks like he’s wearing too much mascara.

This leaves one answer, and it’s the best solution to a vexing problem for ABC News president David Westin and the brass at Disney. Go ahead and take your best shot: Make Diane Sawyer the anchor of “World News Tonight.” Okay, so it probably won’t happen: It’s too much risk for too little reward. Ultimately, “GMA” adds more profit to the ABC bottom line than “World News Tonight” ever will. It’s too bad, because Ms. Sawyer’s version of “World News Tonight” would have been more fun to watch. I don’t usually agree with Leslie Moonves, the CEO of CBS, but his notion of an entertaining nightly newscast makes perfect sense. On this point I part with those who would “protect” the sanctity of news until it can’t breathe properly anymore. It’s time to let the evening news broadcast share in the glory of free-form storytelling that once made magazine shows great. Ms. Sawyer knows how to find and tell those stories, and how to make us listen.

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Don’t miss “The O. J. Verdict,” a collection of file footage and interviews with participants in the “Trial of the Century,” tonight at 9 p.m. on E! Entertainment Television.

Oh wait, sorry – it’s a Frontline documentary on Channel 13. Forgive my confusion.

dblum@nysun.com