Five years ago today “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer went on the air — the once three-hour, afternoon newscast with its wall of video monitors (not always color-corrected), was revolutionary at the time.
“When our Washington bureau chief David Bohrman first told me about his idea for a show that would have me standing in front of a wall for hours, I thought he was crazy,” Blitzer tells TVNewser.
And for the last five years, Blitzer has covered hurricanes, earthquakes, elections and more … while standing at those monitors. He sits during commercial breaks, which we saw during a set visit last year.
The show was shortened to two hours (5-7pmET) earlier this year with the expansion of Rick’s List. CNN calls The Situation Room a “command center for breaking news, politics and extraordinary reports from around the world.”
“It only took a few shows to see how our format gave viewers a window to world news in a way never before accomplished on television,” Blitzer tells us, adding, “I am proud of that innovation and look forward to continuing to break the mold in years to come.”
• Earlier on TVNewser: 20 Years at CNN for Wolf Blitzer
• Related: The Baltimore Sun – As change sweeps CNN, Wolf Blitzer stays steady