CNN executive vice president Ken Jautz announces “In the Arena” ensemble program at 8:00 pm. Below are statements from Ken, Kathleen Parker and Eliot Spitzer.
NOTE FROM KEN JAUTZ TO STAFF:
I want to share with you some news today regarding our 8pm show. Kathleen Parker has decided to leave the program to focus on her writing, and we have decided to take the show in a new direction. We will be adopting an ensemble format with several newsmakers, guests and contributors joining Eliot Spitzer each night. The new program will be called, "In the Arena," beginning Monday. E.D. Hill and Will Cain will join the program as well others within and outside the CNN family.
We have been pleased with how the 8pm hour has become a centerpiece of substantive, policy-oriented conversation, and we are looking forward to building on that with this new format. Simply put, the new program will look beyond the headlines to analyze and discuss the most important stories of the day. The program will provide context and analysis through balanced and thoughtful discussions and interviews with a wide range of guests and newsmakers who cumulatively represent various points of view.
Kathleen will continue to appear on CNN occasionally to provide her insights and commentary. We thank Kathleen for her hard work and all that she has done to help us launch our new 8pm program. We respect her as a colleague and appreciate her perspective and contributions.
Statement from Kathleen Parker:
After bringing viewers a new 8pm show on CNN, I have decided to return to a schedule that will allow me to focus more on my syndicated newspaper column and other writings. While I am extremely proud of the show we created, and the subject matter and level of discourse Parker Spitzer promoted every night, it was a difficult decision to scale back my column a few months ago and, with the show going in a new direction, it is a good time to move on. I want to thank the viewers who have been so kind with their comments and support. I will continue to appear to contribute and analyze occasionally on CNN and look forward to continuing my relationship with CNN and the many talented individuals I have worked with here.
Statement from Eliot Spitzer:
I wish Kathleen all the best in continuing on with her spectacular career. It has been a joy working with her as a teammate, and I continue to be a huge fan of the wisdom that jumps from her written work and the wit, charm and insight she brings to all that she does.
Friday, February 25, 2011
It's Official
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4 comments:
Kathleen Parker wasn't the most dynamic presence on CNN, but when you consider some of the conservative pundits that they've hired recently, Parker at least had a bit of credibility. It seems like the new boss Jautz is intent on hiring loudmouth, fact-challenged conservative clowns in the mode of Glenn Beck as another commenter mentioned on the other post. And they appear to have only hired ONE liberal (Cornell Belcher). CNN has been headed toward Fox-lite territory a long time now and it's not good news.
Anon 4:37 I think CNN is aligning itself with
the tea party.CNN is so scared of the right
wing media machine and is bound by ideology.
Since CNN recently changed it's management
structure is Ken Jautz in charge of some shows
or all of the shows. If so, what is the role of
Mark Whitaker ? CNN is a hot mess right now.
CNN looks completely dysfunctional. Ken Jautz
thinks by hiring more conservatives CNN will
suddenly get more viewers. In his world you
can build a house on quicksand. There is no
way they are going to get people to switch
from FOX to CNN no matter who they hire.
Parker Spitzer & Piers Morgan should've
never happened in the first place. Now CNN
is trying to save 2 shows that are losers.
Parker didn't project. Eliot did exactly what he said he would do...steamroll right over her.
She was given every opportunity to be heard, but she had little to offer.
Television is an odd kind of medium when it comes to being noticed. You have to be different or endearing or maybe a little of both and Parker never seemed to make her presense felt. Viewers didn't care or feel anything when she spoke, so it had nothing to do with Jautz and everything to do with her and Klein's ultimate lack of wisdom in hiring her.
@anon 7:52, it's true Parker wasn't able to assert herself in a strong manner in order to connect with viewers, but that still doesn't change the fact that CNN has been attempting to court the Tea Party and GOP by minimizing liberal voices on the network and bringing in a lot of right wing commentators. Even the long-time correspondents and anchors on CNN have a tendency to lean right in some of their reporting. I'm not the only person whose noticed this trend, anon 6:14 is correct as well. Should CNN really be backing a Tea Party debate and should they have been the only network to air Michelle Bachmann's response to the SOTU? I don't think so.
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