From TVNewser:
CNN’s chief business correspondent Ali Velshi is leaving the channel, TVNewser has learned.
CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker noted the change in a meeting with CNN staff today. Velshi’s last day will be Friday. Zucker said that CNN and Velshi were parting as friends, and that the channel was sorry to see him go.
“It’s been an amazing almost 12 years at CNN. Love it more today than I ever have, and CNN is going to be great under Jeff,” Velshi says. “I basically grew up here, so it’s sad to leave, but I’ve got a great opportunity to stretch some new muscles and grow something, and it appeals to my entrepreneurial side.”
Velshi joined CNN in 2001 as an anchor and reporter for the CNNfn financial news channel. He moved to CNN proper as a business correspondent and anchor in 2004 when CNNfn shut down. In addition to his correspondent duties, he also serves as the anchor of “CNN Your Money” and “World Business Today” on CNN International.
It isn’t clear where Velshi is going just yet, but Zucker said that Velshi is leaving to work on a new project that “he couldn’t pass up” according to an insider.
25 comments:
It seems CNN/Zucker doesn't want anyone on CNN who actually believes in reporting facts, first Soledad and now Ali. I'm disappointed.
Can we please get over Soledad's departure? It is history, thankfully. For some of us, it is a pleasant event to not have to endure her arrogance.
@8:16PM: Seems like you are alone in your thoughts about Soledad O'Brien and most of us on this blog will miss her.
It is unfortunate that you have mistaken her knowledge and self confidence as an Afro-American woman, for arrogance.
Maybe this is why CNN has been utterly dumbed down.
Yep, I already miss Soledad and I will certainly miss Ali! What the heck is going on over at CNN? Its a mess. The Point sucks.
Ali Velshi will be the main anchor at Al Jazeera America.
He ticks all the boxes for them.
And for Ali, he will be the main guy - so there is prestige of being the face of a channel and a big bump in pay.
Sorry @10:26 --- but Soledad was a train wreck as an anchor.
Did you seen her silly panic freakout in Japan 2 years ago. Embarrassing.
Not sure the Jeff Zucker experiment will work for CNN. He might not be the right fit for CNN. It's early but the Jeff Zucker era at CNN is off to a rocky start. Outside of 360 and TSR, CNN has nothing and CNN gets worse and worse each day. I don't see what his news philosophy might be but he better figure CNN out fast.
@anon 10:26 pm, thank you for your comment, I totally agree. Soledad O'Brien was one of the best reporters on CNN, she was tough, smart and knew how to challenge and question her guests when it was necessary. CNN needs more of that, not less. Ali Velshi was pretty much the same, very knowledgeable and dedicated to making sure viewers were getting factual information and not spreading talking point nonsense.
@2:05pm, You hit the nail on the head. What I liked about Soledad and Ali is that they were knowledgeable (not all-knowing, they could admit what they didn't understand) and they held all people accountable. They were dogged in their pursuit of factual information and not all the spin and blather. What is so disheartening is that Zucker is clearly moving away from the hard-nosed journalism into tabloid crap. Jake Tapper seems to be the only exception to the rule but his show is having a difficult time launching. I see a lot of changes on CNN but its just rearranging chairs on the Titanic. Its cosmetic stuff - change for the sake of change. No real evidence that things are improving.
BTW, I think @7:04am could be right. I never thought of that but what a good fit it would be. If Ali does go to AJA, I will watch!!
360 should be on at 10 PM live but like the original
show. Make it completely different from the 8 PM
version of the show. Everything like the original from
Nth Degree to the theme and bump music. The ratings
for 360 have been rising and if the momentum keeps
up 360 will be 2nd at 8 PM and closer to FNC in the
demo. PMT is dropping down big time. CNN should
be more concerned about 9 PM. It seems like viewers
prefer the 360 repeat instead of Get To The Point.
360 was once live for 2 hours. Call the live 2nd our
of 360 something like the 360 Mega News Mix. 60
minutes of jammed packed news and interesting
content , stories and video.
Seems our Anon 7:04 got it right. Brian Stelter on Twitter quoting Ali who says he's in on building Al Jazeera America from the ground up.
AJE is no joke. The network has deep pockets and wants to hire Americans for the network. AJE will make the other so-called news channels look really bad. The ratings are falling because no one does the news. AJR
is serious about the news.
Love the comments on this blog.
Even though we all don't always agree, there is no intentional insulting or degrading one another.
What a refreshing and mature way to comment and might I also add, we
are all anons.
Other blogs and their commenters can learn from ATC on how to conduct yourself in an adult manner.
Love this pix of Ali.
He looks like the kid in the class who got his finger stuck in the cookie jar, and he's got a little secret!
Phebe,
I'm Anon 7:04.
It was pretty common knowledge around the newsroom that Ali was joining Al Jazeera. It was a no-brainer move for him.
On that topic, a large number of CNN employees have applied to work at Al Jazeera America. Primarily these are editorial and production staff - but expect to see one or two more on-air defections. Al Jazeera is a chance to work in a new setting, and do news stories rather than more tabloid stuff.
(Hopefully this post won't hijack the thread and turn it into an anti-Al Jazeera topic)
@anon 7:04 Thanks for the information. I think many of us feel CNN has lost its mojo and if Al Jazeera America can replicate what CNN used to be we'll switch our viewing habits.
Good luck to you if you're one of those thinking of making a job change and please keep us posted when possible.
Anon 7:04 and Phebe...
I wholeheartedly agree that if AJA can bring back the news instead of the garbage that has become CNN, I will switch in a millisecond! Hiring Ali is a good first step. What I don't understand is why so many peopl heap praise on Zucker - I can't imagine that many people at CNN like the tabloid route it is going. I guess we will soon need to start AllThingsAJA.com!
Jon Stewart sums up CNN best again. The problem
for CNN is that they lost their news identity by relying
heavily on pundits. Keep in mind that MSNBC and FOX
were never intended to be news oriented like CNN. If
you have the chance to watch the Thursday edition of
Nightline, do so. They talked with VICE about their
style of journalism and why it has struck a chord The
amazing thing is he said he wants Vice to be the new
CNN. A 24 hour news channel. It is no secret that
news content is king and more than ever original
reporting and content matters. Ironically, the VICE
airs on you guessed it , HBO. Judging from the ratings for CNN, MSNBC & FOX, they are headed the
way of soap operas unless they get it and not rely
on talking heads but reporting. If Jeff Zucker were
interested in evolving news on CNN, he would hire
the VANGUARD journos : Kaj Larsen, Marianna Van
Zeller, Christoff Putzel and Adam Yamaguchi. Very
much like VICE it is a whole different approach to
journalism that is centered in story-telling that
takes you right into the middle of the story. Zucker
definitely needs to bring fresh blood into management. CNN can't stop repeating failures and
is clearly out of fresh ideas. What CNN has done
would be like ESPN not having highlights. The news
has disappeared from CNN. No brainer : people
come to CNN for the news. it's simple CNN has to
change completely. Limit the politics to political
shows. Trust me no one other than political types
are thinking about 2016. That's speculation. Are
we suppose to believe that the only news is all
about politics.
CNN and the MSM are losing it. How in the world can they act like Obama is being sex with his remarks on the CA AG Harris. Really, this is the same media that did stories on the wife of the former Florida Gulf Coast coach because she was a former model. CNN did an interview with the couple; Look I have no problem with my male friends complimenting me on my looks. I do the same with them. Friends joke like that. No way in the world is that a controversial comment. It is not like he said she is hot, which the media does all of the time.
Unfortunately, CNN is completely clueless. CNN is thinking of bringing back Crossfire. Remember the Jon Stewart appearance on that show. He told CNN way back then why a show like Crossfire was useless and now CNN wants to go back there. Game over for CNN.
I'm done with CNN.
I never watched Ali Velshi on CNN, so I will never watch him on Al-Jazeera. He is not somebody that will make you change the channel. I am one of the few people here that actually like CNN. Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer are better than anyone else on TV.
So sad! I will miss his positive outlook which was always based on facts!!
We need more of what Ali represents.
the none fear mongering reporter that instilled hope and confidence vs gloom and doom.
good luck Ali - you will be missed!
I'm a CNN but it saddens me what the current management has done to a once great network. Agree 100 % about Wolf and Anderson. Throw in Around The Word as well.
I have to say I like Miguel Marquez anchoring this weekend. CNN needs to keep him in the anchor chair on weekend. Man I hope it's not true about Crossfire. I thought it was a joke on Huffington Post. In the era of partisan media outlets and social media, why would anyone care about Crossfire ? Nobody will watch the left vs right argument because they can do it themselves. Wake up CNN it's 2013. Good grief CNN is in full pundit overload. I guess they learned nothing from Staring Point.
It would be so cool if CNN could become the HBO
of cable news. IMHO , we are likely to see more news
content move to channels like HBO. Showtime has 60
Minutes Sports. I am not sure why this is happening
but I think Vice is just the beginning. Let's face it TW
suits love HBO not sure if they feel the same about
CNN. They have been ignoring CNN for years. Once
HBO does something so does everyone else. TW also
owns Cinemax, which has a show called Strike Back
that focuses on terrorism and intelligence. Fareed
Zakaria is supervising producer for Vice so HBO
is serious about a news show.
People don't remember why Jon
Stewart got angry on Crossfire.
He came as a guest and the hosts thought he would be funny.
He told them that he did not intend to be "their monkey."
I remember his words exactly and this was the beginning of the Jon
Stewart we know and love today.
He wanted to be taken seriously and not be tossed about like he was the comedian for their entertainment....and then he went on to insult the show and its hosts.
We have since learned that Jon Stewart is like the Oprah of media.
If HE doesn't like someone, like Jim Cramer, he is capable of demolishing their career, and he will do it. Just ask Rick Sanchez.
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