Just to respond to your points
1. I think this comes down more so to George than to Diane. If George says he wants WN or he's out, I'm sure they'll find a way to give it to him. He's paid his dues and has sacrificed a lot for the network. I dunno just a hunch that says they're not going to let George walk away.
2. It's not much about hard news vs soft fillers. It's about the lack of substantive content. The name of the broadcast is "World News" yet you would have to struggle to find a glimpse of world issues and topics. Her newscast doesn't have to be investigative hard hitting stories but some type of substance would be nice. Take for example what Evening News's latest series of reports on the rise of poverty in America, while Nightly News has ran a series on heroin addiction in America. Diane's newscast covers issues on how to save money on your grocery bill. ABC already has a great news/lifestyle/entertainment program and it's called Good Morning America. Under her reign the brand relevance has diminished and critically she's a far 3rd behind Scott and Brian. I understand that some like the new format but for someone who admires the work of Reasoner, Jennings, Robinson and Charles Gibson the current state of the newscast for me is very discouraging.