As TVNewser has been covering over the last few weeks, the Jodi Arias trial has proved to be a boon for HLN. CNN’s sister network has seen ratings explode during the week, not only topping its older sibling, but MSNBC and Fox News in some dayparts and demos as well. HLN slated a nightly show at 10 PM recapping the day’s events, which has helped fill the gap of TruTV’s In Session, which was cut in the middle of the trial to make way for other programming.
The New York Times‘ Brian Stelter talks to HLN executive VP Scot Safon about what the trail means to the channel.
“We were just responding to the behaviors we were seeing on social media, out in the world, in people’s homes: as a trial unfolds, the people who watch start to become jurors, deliberating with each other all over the place,” Mr. Safon said.
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If the Casey Anthony trial is any indication, the high viewership will recede after this trial concludes. But until then, HLN can showcase its brand-name hosts like Nancy Grace and Dr. Drew Pinsky as well as its newer hosts like Vinnie Politan and Ryan Smith.