Continuing CNN’s recent trend of announcing moves via tweet, CNN/US President Jon Klein announces today that “Campbell Brown” EP Janelle Rodriguez becomes CNN’s new Director of Programming in Atlanta. Kathy O’Hearn takes her spot in New York.
O’Hearn was once executive producer of ABC’s “This Week,” and left ABC News in 2009 to take over CNNI’s “Amanpour.” In an odd twist, Christiane Amanpour will be leaving that CNN program to become anchor of “This Week.” Rodriguez took over EP duties at “Campbell Brown” in May of 2009, when she moved from EP of “American Morning.”
According to Klein, Rodriguez will “arrive just in time to work with all of our show teams in launching our new set and continuing the ambitious development of our dayside and weekend programming.” She’ll continue to report to Bart Feder, SVP or Programming.
The director of programming position has been open for a bit, as Scott Matthews moved over to head up the CNN Productions and Investigations unit in November.
Klein’s note to staff after the jump.
Dear Colleagues,
I am very pleased to announce that effective immediately Janelle Rodriguez has been promoted to Director of Programming for CNN/US. In that role she will oversee all of our Atlanta-based news programming. Janelle is of course moving to Atlanta and will continue to report to SVP of Programming Bart Feder. She will arrive just in time to work with all of our show teams in launching our new set and continuing the ambitious development of our dayside and weekend programming.
Through her more than 10 years at CNN, Janelle has taken on increased responsibility to become not only a superb producer but an excellent leader and manager. Most recently, as you know, Janelle has been executive producer of Campbell Brown, taking the helm of that show last May. She has added her trademark dose of energy and inventiveness, and I am proud that Janelle and Campbell have staked out an unbiased alternative to the partisan noise on both sides.
Prior to moving to primetime, Janelle was the executive producer of American Morning where she grew the program’s audience by 35%. Before that, she served as a senior producer on The Situation Room and was instrumental in that program’s launch.
Janelle spent two years as senior producer on Anderson Cooper 360 and has also served as executive producer for numerous specials including the award-winning Jack Cafferty: Broken Government and a presidential faith forum hosted by Soledad O’Brien. She began as a producer at Headline News (now HLN) in Atlanta before moving to CNN/US where she worked on various weekend shows and Wolf Blitzer Reports.
Effective April 5th, Kathy O’Hearn will take over as executive producer of Campbell Brown. Kathy of course was most recently EP of Amanpour, is an award winning and accomplished journalist, and is no stranger to the workings of CNN/US.
Please join me in wishing Janelle and Kathy success in their new assignments.
Jon