Rob Marciano Leaves CNN To Become ‘Entertainment Tonight’ Co-Host

By Alex Weprin 

CNN news and weather anchor Rob Marciano is leaving the cable channel to become the co-host of the long-running entertainment news program “Entertainment Tonight.”

Marciano will join Nancy O’Dell in Los Angeles starting in January. “ET” had been seeking a new co-host since Mark Steines left the program over the Summer. A source close to Marciano tells TVNewser that while he was happy at CNN, he had been looking to move beyond weather reporting, and into more general news. “ET,” which launched in 1981, is the gold standard for entertainment news shows, and routinely draws between four and five million viewers every day, far more than any program on cable news, except perhaps for “The O’Reilly Factor.”

“This is a terrific opportunity for Rob,” a CNN spokesperson says. “We thank him for all his years of reporting for CNN and we wish him the best of luck.”

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“I am honored to be joining the distinguished and talented team at ‘Entertainment Tonight,’ all of whom are the gold standard in entertainment journalism,” said Marciano in a statement. “For over 30 years, ET has been a powerhouse in the entertainment industry and to be part of that blue chip franchise is a dream come true.”

“ET” executive producer Linda Bell Blue added: “Rob brings with him a passion for news, a wealth of knowledge about the entertainment industry and an enormous amount of charisma that viewers have been responding to for years. We know he will be an outstanding fit for our show, our audience and the immensely talented Nancy O’Dell.”

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