MICHAEL SMERCONISH JOINS CNN
Michael Smerconish will join CNN
as host of a new weekly program that will air live on Saturday mornings from
New York, it was announced today by CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker.
Smerconish will also provide analysis and opinion on CNN programming throughout
the week. He joins the network this month.
“We are thrilled to have Michael
join CNN,” said Zucker. “At a time when the cable news landscape has
become increasingly polarized, his independence and passion for reasoned
dialogue makes him the perfect fit for CNN.”
Most recently, Smerconish was an
MSNBC contributor and for the last four years served as guest-host for Hardball
with Chris Matthews. He will continue hosting his radio show The
Michael Smerconish Program on SiriusXM Radio and writing a weekly
column for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Said Smerconish, “I’ve long wanted
to host a program of my own and I’m appreciative of Jeff Zucker for making that
dream a reality. I think the type of content I seek to provide is
perfectly suited for CNN’s non-ideological brand."
Over the years he has interviewed
five U.S. presidents including Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill
Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as Vice Presidents Al Gore,
Dick Cheney and Joe Biden.
Smerconish is currently working on
his sixth book TALK: A Novel of Politics and the Media, which is
due out in May. He is also the author of five previous books, two of them
New York Times’ best sellers. He donated all author proceeds from three of
those manuscripts to charity. His published books are: Flying Blind:
How Political Correctness Continues to Compromise Airline Safety Post 9/11; Muzzled:
From T-Ball to Terrorism, True Stories that Should Be Fiction; Murdered
By Mumia: A Life Sentence of Loss, Pain and Injustice; Morning
Drive: Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Talking; and Instinct:
The Man Who Stopped the 20th Hijacker.
Prior to turning to media and
broadcasting full-time Smerconish practiced law for ten years with James E.
Beasley, a legendary Philadelphia-based trial lawyer, who is the namesake of
the Beasley School of Law at Temple University. He is currently of counsel to
the Philadelphia law firm of Kline & Specter. Smerconish graduated
from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Lehigh University. He
remains a member of the Bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He lives
in Pennsylvania with his family.
HLN
REBRANDS TO BECOME THE FIRST TV HOME FOR THE SOCIAL MEDIA GENERATION
HLN To Redefine TV News & Information Driven by What’s
Trending, Being Shared & Going Viral Across All Screens
HLN will reformat and rebrand in 2014 to become the first TV
network for the social media generation (millennials and the
millennial-minded), it was announced by Albie Hecht, executive vice president and
general manager, HLN.
Taking a cue from today's connected and wildly social generation,
HLN will curate the news from across all platforms. Headlines will be ripped
from the most “plugged-in” sites and blogs, and HLN will make it its mission to
share the trending news, viral events and stories that have viewers most
obsessed, plus discover emerging social stars.
“While others report on the conversation, HLN will be a part of
it,” said @AlbieHechtHLN. “Just as MTV was adopted by a disconnected
target audience that was underserved by television, HLN will be the first TV
home to embrace the social media generation and champion its interests.”
HLN will add the TV component and a sense of humor to what
consumers are searching, playing, sharing, shopping, creating and watching all
day long, non-stop and in real time.
The first acquisition in the newly reformatted HLN is a
customized version of the hit syndicated television show, RightThisMinute premiering Monday, February 10,
and airing weeknights 10-11 p.m. ET.
The program is the first daily broadcast series devoted to finding the most
captivating web videos and the stories behind them as they break, often before
going viral. RightThisMinute is
produced by MagicDust Television and syndicated by MGM Domestic Television
Distribution.
Additional programming genres fitting the social media filter,
such as animation, reality, gaming and clip shows will continue to premiere
throughout the year, as well as a fresh look and new hosts.
HLN’s new social media format will also become part of the DNA of Morning
Express with Robin Meade (6 a.m.-12 noon, ET), News Now (12 noon -5
p.m., ET); Jane Velez-Mitchell (7-8 p.m. ET); Nancy Grace (8-9
p.m., ET) and Dr. Drew On Call (9-10 p.m., ET).
To read more about Albie Hecht's new direction for HLN check out this article on BuzzFeed Business.
28 comments:
HLN is becoming the 24/7 version of AJAM's
The Stream. However, The Stream is serious
and thoughtful conversation. It's a shame
that AJAM only has a 30 minute version of
a show that should be at least an hour and
cover more topics. It seems like HLN is going
to try to beat AJAM to the punch. The big
question is will HLN follow the real news in
social media or follow the same tired old
blogs that have nothing to do with news.
Facebook is making it easier to get to the
real news instead of Buzz Feed.
CNN should hire Martin Bashir, he's a forceful presence and a truth teller.
HLN is not using social media for real news. I actually watched a little and ended up turning away because it is still crime,celebrities and viral video. Don't believe what they are saying about a makeover.
CNN still does not get that television is a visual medium. Talking heads is what ruined 360 latter and CNN keeps hiring talking heads. Why ?
HLN should be renamed to Upwave. I don't see any headline news in the future.
CNN/HLN is old media that does not understand new media. Take Part LIve, VICE, which is starting a 24/7 news channel , The Stream and AJ+ get it. CNN & HLN keep making the same mistakes. MSNBC is challenging FNC in the demo because they are not trying to be like FNC. NO creativity or innovation or brand new concept from CNN. CNN makes you turn the channel. I'm so glad that AJAM is the alternative.
BBC tis going to try to do a daily real time news show
called Outside Source. They will be using BBC Trending for news stories. Real news, real time. AJAM is more of a work in progress. Great news content but
they need a more modern look and drop the crawl and use the space for data journalism. All of the stories should have a media bar. Real time news is the future of news period. Just rehashing the same news every hour does not cut it anymore. Content is king and every 30 minutes you need fresh content and original reports. Also, use AJAM for the logo. That is what everyone calls it in social media. HLN as usual is not about news.
Good for Chuck Todd telling off former White House advisor Michelle Wallace.
Michelle Wallace wouldn't know a good day if she fell over it and Chris Christie will never have a good day so long as Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews continue to do their job.
And speaking of 'Pummeling,' if viewers weren't interested in doing just that, 'pummeling' Sir Christie until he tells us all the truth, MSNBC will continue to have high ratings.
And didn't Nicole Wallace work for or with John McCain when he was trying to smarten up Sarah Palin....and Wallace was the one who called Palin on her dumbing down perception of reality??
Yes, I remember it well in "Game Change."
Nicole Wallace should take a step back and remember where she came from. She was the mentor of the stupidest Republican who was ever
nominated for public office.
I think MSNBC is picking up former CNN viewers.
At least in prime time. Q1 2014 is bad news for
CNN come the end of March. It's ugly.
Please excuse the error in the first two lines: It should read Nicole Wallace, not Michelle.
anon: 6:15PM
Source website TVN
Of course MSNBC is picking up CNN viewers.
There is literally nothing worth watching on CNN.
Just today I was watching CNN to get an update on the awful weather here in the Northeast.
Natually they were focused on Atlanta.
Why?
I don't live in Atlanta and Time Warner is in NYC, the most important city in the world.
While I realize the storm made its way through Atlanta and up into the Carolinas, I live in Delaware.
CNN should be interested in the tri-state area and cities around DC. We have the weather channel to tell us ALL about every place else.
CNN is useless.
Seriously, CNN is over doing it with this snow coverage. It isn't a freakin' blizzard or hurricane.
It was probably a better idea to keep the "Newsroom" name straight from 9:00AM to 4:00PM considering lately all I have been seeing is wall to wall coverage of either snow, court cases, or a political scandal during the day.
What does snow have to do with Legal View?
12:11am, seriously? CNN has gone way above and beyond when it comes to covering the Northeast. In fact, they cover news like the northeast is ALL of USA! Everything us about NY and all of cable news is guilty of not reaching beyond the ACELA corridor. You know, the rest of the country gets snow too and we arent whining about it. And lets be clear, NYC is NOT the most important city in the world. Ugh, northeasterners sure are an entitled group. Eye roll.
Name another city that has the influence NYC does. NAME IT.
Here we go again making STUFF UP!
And yes the East coast and the West coast ARE THE TWO most important areas in the country.
Unless of course you're living in Texas.....duh.
Another Sarah Palin on this blog.
Someone has to tell Jake Tapper that when his nose begins to run, and he's standing in the cold, the camera should shoot somewhere else, to give him time to wipe it.
I know of no other newsman who seems as unprepared to be in front of the camera.
But CNN seems to find them all.
CNN did a very poor job in reporting on the storm as it effected the northeast corridor.
It is just now reporting a foot of snow in our nations capitol.
Yes, DC. happens to be on the East
coast and last time I looked, thats where our legislative body IS....not in the midwest.
Sadly, Al Roker is right about De Blasio being a one term Mayor.
De Blasio hasn't a clue how to run the city.
Unfortunately, unless there is a petition to support Al, NYC is stuck with a very poor choice.
Honeymoon over.
Today during Carol Costello's newsroom, Ashleigh Banfield was out reporting on the snow and for five minutes they spoke about how a guy was handing out free hot chocolate to people outside and how sweet it was...................WHO CARES!!!!!!!!
CNN needs to be canceled and replaced with CNN International.
And that's why the tens of millions of people living outside the Northeast really find the people in Northeast to be utterly unbearably obnoxious. I'm not Sarah Palin, I'm not Conservative and I'm not a Republican. But of course a clueless Northeasterner would make wrong assumptions. Oh, I currently live near DC so I am well aware of the bubble in which you live.
CNN please clean up your TV graphics mess!
If CNN is stooping to having Chris Cuomo interview the disgusting murderer George Zimmerman, they deserve bad ratings. I guess CNN has no principles, standards or decency now. Just a big ratings grab. Zimmerman is not a celebrity, he is a killer who got away with shooting an unarmed kid and CNN shouldn't be in the business of elevating someone awful like that.
I think my post about tens of millions of people who 'supposedly,' Hate Northeasterns, according to an uninformed commenter, should have been posted.
It was a "made up statistic" and the commenter knows it.
The same commenter refused to supply data on NYC NOT being the most influencial city in the world.
And I asked her/him to name another, and it was not responded to, because there isn't any.
@6:53AM: You are correct. CNN is stooping to the lowest common denominator by interviewing George a..hole Zimmerman. (You should excuse the French)
Unfortunately, until Florida's stand your ground rule is deleted as the law of the state, subsequent juries have no other alternative, but to abide by it.
Someone must tell CNN's SE Cupp, that she is obnoxious.
She was on Bill Maher's panel recently and from audience reaction she is not well liked, though she speaks very quickly and thinks she's well informed.
According to TVN, Cupp also ridiculed a kindergarten teacher for "giving every child a Valentine," so feelings wouldn't be hurt.
As a former educator, I too advised the class to remember others on Valentines Day even if they were not your friends.
Children need to be taught kindness and inclusion first, and reality second, and Cupp needs to research how to teach children.
We get it Ms Cupp. You were rejected, because you "never learned to play well with others."
S.E. Cupp is very pleased with herself but she can't handle real intellects who shut her down but quick. CNN should be embarrassed to have her on air, but then they also hired Newt Gingrich.
2/17/14 disappointed to see George Zimmerman being interviewed. John Berman does good replacing Anderson Cooper. Still miss AC360Later was good discussion program. Would like to see AC do more segments on location.
S.E.Cupp is so self absorbed that she could easily pass for Newt Gingrich's daughter.
In fact, someone should ask them if she is the off spring of Newt.
Anything is possible.
That would make an entertaining panel discussion for any program
on any network.
USA Today is reporting that Zimmerman wants to be, hold this thought, a lawyer.
Why? So he can help people not make the same mistakes he made.
Someone must tell Georgie boy that in order to be a lawyer, he first has to become a law abiding citizen, and then he has to pass a "bar exam." Now for him, both of these requirements will be very difficult.
And then there's the time element, you know, in between domestic fights with women.
I could not place this comment on ATA because I lack a google acct.
The main blogger posted a comment that seemed to indicate that Anderson Cooper had limited control over the content of his show.
I totally disagree. By now he is well known and if Rachel Maddow can choose content, Christie segments are always strong, than
Anderson has "some" control over what is presented.
The difference is Anderson is a delegator....he has proven through his failed talk show that he would rather delegate jobs and have others 'handle things.'
Yes, Jeff Zucker hasn't a clue how to run a news network, but no body forced Anderson to sign another contract with CNN.
CNN placed 44th in TVN's ranking
while MSNBC placed 23rd.
If the program has your name on it, you are responsible. PERIOD.
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