Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Kathleen Parker and former New York governor Eliot Spitzer will co-host a spirited, nightly roundtable discussion program on CNN/U.S., it was announced today by Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. The new program, set to debut this fall, will air weeknights at 8pm Eastern time.
Spitzer, a legendary prosecutor and progressive governor, and Parker, an iconoclastic conservative commentator, will host a dynamic exchange of opinions and analyses – their own, and those of their guests and regular contributors – on the most important, compelling and amusing stories of the day.
“Other cable news channels force-feed viewers one narrow, predictable point of view; in contrast, CNN will be offering a lively roundup of all the best ideas – presented by two of the most intelligent and outspoken figures in the country,” said Klein. “Eliot and Kathleen are beholden to no vested interest – in fact, quite the opposite: they are renowned for taking on the most powerful targets and most important causes.”
Parker is one of the nation’s most prolific and popular opinion columnists, appearing twice weekly in more than 400 newspapers. A self-described “rational” conservative, she is known to take a common sense approach to life and writes with humor and wit. In May she was awarded the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for her political opinion columns, which she launched in 1987 while a staff writer for the Orlando Sentinel. It was nationally syndicated in 1995 and she joined the Washington Post Writers Group in 2006. She has written for magazines including the Weekly Standard, Time, Town & Country, Cosmopolitan and Fortune Small Business, and is a contributor to The Daily Beast. She also serves on USA Today’s board of contributors and writes occasionally for the paper’s op-ed page. In 1993 she won the H.L. Mencken writing award and in 2004 and 2005 she was named one of the country’s Top Five Columnists by The Week.
“As a veteran print journalist, I am appropriately respectful of the challenges posed by the medium,” said Parker. “But I'm thrilled by the opportunity to discuss the issues that matter to me —and that aren't heard often enough on television—in a conversation with one of the nation's most brilliant, fearless and original thinkers. With Eliot Spitzer as my co-host, Wall Street and Main Street will finally meet. It can't possibly be boring.”
Spitzer, a renowned prosecutor and former Governor of the State of New York, is frequently referred to as the “Sheriff of Wall Street,” having prosecuted abuses among major Wall Street firms as well as numerous other industries, both as a young lawyer and as New York State Attorney General. As Attorney General from 1998 to 2006, Spitzer led several high-profile cases battling corruption throughout the financial services sector and led groundbreaking cases in the areas of environmental protection and civil rights enforcement. As Governor, Spitzer restructured New York’s system of education finance, began the process of fundamental health care reform and focused economic development on New York’s upstate economy.
Spitzer was born and raised in the Bronx and is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Following law school, Spitzer clerked for Federal District Judge Robert W. Sweet; was an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, where he prosecuted organized crime and political corruption cases; and worked at several prominent private law firms. Spitzer is currently a contributor to Slate.com.
“Kathleen is an extraordinary intellect whose sharp observations and wit are certain to resonate with viewers,” said Spitzer. “I look forward to working alongside her in a discussion that will inform, challenge, and entertain. I am grateful to CNN for the opportunity to co-host a show that will advance the discussion of the defining issues of our time.” *
*text from CNN press release
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The New 8 PM Hour on CNN
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
Huh? Seriously CNN?
A few things will come from this dumb
move by CNN. First, Jon Klein will be fired .
This will be his latest flop.CNN will be severely
damaged as a news organization. You never
give up your most powerful weapon, which for
CNN is news.CNN has just dissed it's viewers
so the ratings will tank about as fast as the
show they are giving Elliot Spitzer. The 1st
response from so many is : what is he doing
with a show on CNN ? Jon Klein actually seems
to believe that people are going to start
magically watching CNN because they now
have an opinion show at 8.
I like Eliot Spitzer. Never heard of Parker and Eliot could debate anyone, everyone in the tri-state area knows that. This might work.
Thank God, they didn't choose Piers Morgan or maybe he's in the wings for LKL, who knows. If he is, they've just lost a viewer.
OK. Let's set the record straight. Eliot Spitzer is not a disgrace, TVN. John Edward's is a disgrace.
There is a big difference between the two, and most of it is attitude, behavior, and INTELLIGENCE. John Edwards should never see the lite of day because of his insensitivity towards his wife, his kids, and most of all the American public. Just think, he could be President now? He is a slick, low class liar. Eliot Spitzer cheated on his wife, not the United States. NY state has suffered more since he left office and that is a shame.
No one except Elizabeth and her kids suffered from the absence of John Edwards. We're all much better off.
I could care less about Spitzer's personal life.
The problem for me is that he has not news
experience and I never liked Crossfire just like
Jon Stewart. People watch CNN for news not talk.
It is a huge mistake.
I am concerned that CNN does not want a
female anchoring a prime time show. That
is wrong in so many ways. CNN should think
out a news show with journalists. There is
no room for error.CNN seems to forget they
are not FNC or MSNBC. It is wrong for CNN
to abandon it's principles and standards.
So now CNN reporters will have to play
second fiddle to Elliot Sptizer. When there
is a major breaking new story does CNN
really think people will turn to CNN. The
biggest winner here is Countdown. Spitzer
does not have a following. The name alone
will make people not even bother to watch.
CNN will end up with lower ratings than
CNBC for this move and that means they
will now be 5th.
Check out TVN Rachael Sklar and Connie
Ghung sums it up right. Also, they have
some interesting news about Current. If
CNN is interested any of the Vanguard
correspondents they might be available.
Sklar is right if Eliot Spitzer can a get a
show in prime time and Don Lemon can't
something is wrong at CNN.
CNN blew it big time with this move. They could
have chosen a news program featuring all of the
great female journalists at CNN from all ethnic
backgrounds, a viewer contributed news show,
featuring legit news items and no politics unless
there is a need for it or even an anchorless news
show to really generate interest and buzz. Instead
they bring back Crossfire and no one cares. Like
people are not suppose to be able to figure out
the only reason CNN chose Spitzer is because of
the scandal. The brings zero to the plate. I think
this will rank right up there with the Coke move
that ended up being reversed because they did
not realize that the consumers wanted the real
thing and not the new taste.I think I actually
agree with Lou Dobbs for once.
@7:45PM Very good point about Don Lemon not getting to be an anchor in prime time on CNN.
No, in Klein's mind Don Lemon is reserved for documentaries, if you care to call them that, like the Michael Jackson, death. Something like, Larry Filmore, on The Daily Show, playing, "the black correspondent." That's how Klein thinks, so those are the assignments he gives out. He thinks in stereotypes and "this" is president of CNN....amazing!
Post a Comment