Sam Donaldson cuts back on ABC News duties

The 74-year-old journalist, who was the network's chief White House correspondent from 1977 to 1989, is leaving full-time work later this month. Donaldson says he's not retiring but "cutting back." He told the Washington Post, which broke the story, that he didn't ask for a new contract when his last one was due for renewal late last year.

Donaldson's stint as chief White House correspondent spanned the presidencies of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. He made his name for his reporting on their administrations as well as for his shouting of questions to Reagan.

In recent years, he has hosted programs on ABCNews.com and the 24-hour news channel ABC News Now. Previously, he was a panelist and co-moderator of "This Week" as well as co-host of the newsmagazine "Primetime." He began his career in Washington in the early 1960s and started working at ABC News in 1967.