Meet Joel Cheatwood

Biography: Joel Cheatwood is famous (or infamous) for “bringing tabloid formats to several stations.”

Cheatwood became “a news-business star by punching up crime, sex, and glitz on local broadcasts,” CJR noted in 1997. “In Miami, Cheatwood made his name by using flashy crime coverage to build WSVN into the town’s dominant station. In Boston he brought WHDH out of the basement. In Chicago he made Jerry Springer a commentator,” On the Media reported in 2001.

He eventually became vice president at CBS Television Stations. Then in 2004, he became the executive director of program and talent development at CNN, “where he created and launched both Glenn Beck’s program and Showbiz Tonight for Headline News, achieving the highest primetime ratings ever in the network’s tenure.” FNC’s press release has a bio…