Who was the first female anchor on a US network?

• A. Marlene Sanders
• B. Barbara Walters
• C. Connie Chung
• D. Diana Sosa

Answer: (A)

Being the first female anchor on a US network means breaking into the most visible job in national news—the person at the desk delivering the evening report to a national audience. Marlene Sanders achieved that historic breakthrough by becoming the first woman to anchor a network newscast, paving the way for other women to take on the chief anchor role. This milestone shows how quickly opportunities can expand once a barrier is crossed, changing newsroom culture and opening doors for future generations.

Barbara Walters later made her own landmark advance as the first woman to be a network evening-news co-anchor, a separate but equally important milestone that built on Sanders’ pioneering step. The other names you mentioned are associated with later achievements or different firsts, so Sanders is the earliest example of a woman anchoring a US network news program.