Another Pilot Shot For CNN.....

From FishbowlDC on August 13th:
By Betsy Rothstein

The dynamic CNN duo of Mark Whitaker and Amy Entelis were at it again Friday, shooting another pilot that they hope could potentially be the savior for a network going through growing pains.

Whitaker, Executive VP and managing editor of CNN Worldwide, and his hire to head program development, Entelis, are joined at the hip in trying to come up with new ideas for the network, desperately hoping the next boss will keep them around when the anticipated senior executive bloodletting comes to pass.

Who is playing Batman and Robin this time? CNN contributors John Avlon and Margaret Hoover an independent and moderate conservative on air, and off, married. That’s right, CNN is seriously thinking about launching a show with a married couple. They’re no James Carville and Mary Matalin, a big liberal and conservative. Some still find them entertaining.

Avlon, a columnist for The Daily Beast, has fast become a favorite of the CNN suits in New York, especially with Whitaker, a longtime member of the NY/DC media elite who, insiders say, would love nothing more than turn CNN into a TV version of the NYT.

Avlon is the designated independent voice on the network, even though he is a former speechwriter for former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He also has a fantastic head of hair.

Hoover, a middle-of-the-road conservative, also has the kind of pedigree that makes Whitaker salivate. She’s the great-granddaughter of former president Herbert Hoover; an author; and landed at CNN several months ago after failing to come to contractual terms with Fox News. She also brings some of that Fox News hotness, which some think CNN could stand to adopt.

The pilots generated by the program development unit at CNN have left much to be desired as of late, so Entelis reached out to the force behind the CNN Heroes initiative, Kelly Flynn, to helm the pilot. She was a former exec in the program development unit when CNN’s former Executive Director of Program and Talent Development Joel Cheatwood, who left for Fox News and is now Exec. VP of Mercury Radio Arts, ran the joint. (Boy is he missed!).

Entelis, Flynn, Avlon and Hoover spent all of Friday shooting the pilot in New York, hoping it will be good enough to impress outgoing CNN head honcho Jim Walton, and Phil Kent, head of Turner. With Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes applying the pressure to resuscitate the dying brand, the effort has an urgent feel.

But Avlon and Hoover should beware of mixing it up on the air. The last CNN married couple that was seen daily – John King and Dana Bash – later headed for Splitsville. Sure, she wasn’t a co-host on John King, U.S.A., but she was on so much when it launched that it should have been called the John and Dana Show.

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John Avlon Joins CNN as Political Contributor

John Avlon Joins CNN as Political Contributor
John Avlon, a political columnist who specializes in the analysis of the country’s independent movement, will serve as a CNN political contributor, it was announced today by David Bohrman, CNN senior vice president of Washington programming and bureau chief. Avlon will appear on the full line-up of CNN programming as part of the network’s diverse group of analysts and contributors.
“Elections are won and lost in the center and having a voice like John that understands centrist philosophy is critical for political conversations,” said Bohrman “With CNN’s commitment to go above and beyond the political spin, John will be able to provide necessary perspective and insight to the network’s viewers.”
“I’m honored to join CNN as part of ‘the best political team on television,’” said Avlon. “As an independent voter and a centrist, CNN is the network which best reflects my values. I’ll continue to stand up to the extremes of both sides—while trying to restore a sense of humor and historic perspective to our political debates—in the belief that most Americans want to move our country not left or right, but forward.”
For the past year, Avlon has made regular appearances on CNN, including launching the “Wingnuts of the Week” segment on American Morning. In addition to writing about the independent movement as a senior political columnist for TheDailyBeast.com, Avlon has authored books on the subject, titled Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics and Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America. He also served as chief speechwriter and deputy policy director for Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Additionally, Avlon has served as a columnist and associate editor for the New York Sun. Avlon received an MBA from Columbia University, and a B.A. degree from Yale University.


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Some Serious, Some Silly

I have to offer apologies for my tardiness with the material in this post but time seems to get away from me lately. When I first got an alert that John Roberts would be doing an interview with John Avalon at The Strand in NYC on March 15th I knew it would be interesting. I was encouraged to know that it would be posted on C-Span2 Book TV and planned on grabbing it to post here at ATC. Unfortunately C-Span2 thwarted my efforts with a video that isn't able to be copied, lifted or embedded. So I will post the link to C-Span2 site where the video is posted and strongly encourage you to watch the 54 minute talk that is packed with good information and also highlights John Roberts strong skills as an inteviewer.And while we are on the subject of John Roberts, he pulled a steller April Fool's (I told you I'm behind, didn't I?) joke on American Morning April 1st. He told Kiran Chetry, Christine Roamans and others on the AM set that he had been asked to be the ambassador to Canada. Here's a bit of the CNN transcript:

CHETRY: You know, I feel so much better than I did about 10 minutes ago, because our Christine Romans is here "Minding Your Business", and she fell for the same April Fools' joke which is John telling us that he's been called up to be the ambassador to Canada.

ROMANS: I really believed it.

CHETRY: And you and I both fell for it. No one else did.

ROMANS: John! Really? John!

CHETRY: Well, wait. My reaction was, oh my gosh, you know, it's such a big career move. Christine goes, am I going to have a connection then to these good parties?

ROMANS: That's true. I did say that. All right, well --

ROBERTS: And in your condition, too, (INAUDIBLE).

ROMANS: So, as you can see, I'm really -- I'm looking -- taking the long view. I'm looking around -- over the corner.

Look, we're talking about the -- the free credit reports as well.

ROBERTS: But wait, the (ph) ambassadorship to Canada is available.

ROMANS: You know -- and please tell us, is that -- that was a beautiful April Fools' joke. It was very well done, well executed. You get the -- you get the award for the best April Fools' of the year.

ROBERTS: It's the first one I've pulled in a decade, at least.

Later in the morning there was a great exchange about Robert's April Fool's prank between John, Kiran and Kyra when AM tossed to Newsroom.

Thanks to BA and Cyn for help with the material in this post. ~Phebe

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