Big changes coming to the CNN lineup.
Erin Burnett’s new show will be a part of CNN’s pre-primetime lineup, airing at 7pmET, CNN announced. “John King, USA” which had aired at 7pm, moves up to 6pm and “Anderson Cooper 360” moves up two hours, to 8pmET, pitting him against cable news’ #1 show FNC’s “The O’Reilly Factor.”
The first change occurs August 8, when AC360 makes the move to 8pm, with a re-air at 10pmET. Most days, this will mean a shorter day for Cooper, who will be devoting more time to his syndicated daytime show which launches in September.
“I’m looking forward to the new time slot and am excited to share AC360 with a new audience at 8pm, while still connecting with my regular viewers at 10pm,” said Cooper.
Burnett, the former CNBC anchor, will debut in the fall with her show re-airing at 11pmET. “Piers Morgan Tonight” continues at 9pm and 12amET.
King’s move to 6pm means the 2-hour “Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” will now begin at 4pmET, leaving one less hour of CNN Newsroom.
All these changes leave “In the Arena” off the schedule. There’s no mention of that, or the fate of host Eliot Spitzer in the news release (after the jump.)
But Spitzer gives this response on the show, via his publicist: “We engaged serious people in conversations about national and global issues in a way that was informative and challenging. I believe that we provided diverse and valuable perspectives during the show’s tenure. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at CNN.”
Spitzer’s brief run as a cable news host began last October when the former New York Governor was paired with The Washington Post‘s Kathleen Parker for a new show called “Parker Spitzer.” That lasted four months, when Parker left amid reports of tension on the set. The show was reformatted into an ensemble led by Spitzer.
Insiders tell us Spitzer’s work at CNN is done, and he’ll be free to speak with other networks soon.
CNN ANNOUNCES NEW EVENING LINEUP
Schedule Showcases Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper and Piers Morgan to Air this Fall
CNN has unveiled a new evening lineup with anchors Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper and Piers Morgan to launch this fall, it was announced today by Ken Jautz, executive vice president, CNN/U.S.
Beginning Aug. 8, CNN will broadcast its flagship nightly news program AC360, anchored by Anderson Cooper, live at 8pm and re-air it in its current timeslot of 10pm.
In the fall, CNN will premiere a new general news program with Erin Burnett, which will air at 7pm ET and re-air at 11pm ET. Piers Morgan Tonight will continue to air at 9pm and 12am ET.
John King USA will kick off the evening at 6pm. The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer will continue as a two-hour daily program, airing in a new timeslot of 4-6pm. CNN Newsroom will now air from 9am-4pm. The full programming schedule is provided below.
“The new line-up showcases anchors who are experienced reporters in covering stories that span the globe,” said Jautz. “We created a nightly schedule that brings together the best of CNN’s journalism on a wide range of topics from politics and the economy to global and world events, as well the best newsmaker and celebrity interviews. This line-up ensures viewers access to the best of what CNN has to offer whenever they tune in at night.”
“I’m looking forward to the new time slot and am excited to share AC360 with a new audience at 8pm, while still connecting with my regular viewers at 10pm,” said Cooper.
CNN Fall Schedule (All times Eastern):
6a-9am: American Morning
9a-4pm:CNN Newsroom
4pm: Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer
6pm: John King, USA
7pm: Erin Burnett
8pm: Anderson Cooper 360°
9pm: Piers Morgan Tonight
10pm: AC 360 re-air
11pm: Erin Burnett re-air
12am: Piers Morgan Tonight re-air