The New York-based weekday morning block of CNN’s new programming format CNN News Central premiered today, and viewers probably noticed a different style than what they’re used to seeing on other CNN shows.
While there is a traditional anchor desk, the anchor trio have been up on their feet for most of the three-hour broadcast so far, interacting with the new state of the art studio, which features floor to ceiling visuals throughout.
This is not a one-off, series premiere gimmick. Expect to see the anchors and contributors standing, walking and interacting with the set consistently going forward.
“Kate and Sara are terrific journalists and I could not be happier to work with them,” co-anchor John Berman told TVNewser. “It is invigorating to be part of something new, and I can’t wait for viewers to come along for the ride. I think they will enjoy both how compelling it is, and that they will get to see much more of my legs.”
The program started with Berman teasing the top story of the day — the Trump indictment; the camera then panned over to co-anchor Sara Sidner, who teased a story about a woman who blew up a cafe in Russia and killed a well-known pro-war blogger; and it ended with co-anchor Kate Bolduan teasing CNN’s on-site coverage of yet another tornado threat, before returning to Berman for an in-depth look at the show’s top story.
“We’ve put a lot of work into making it the best it can be, and I believe audiences will appreciate and find value in how we’ve reimagined the way we are bringing the news to them during the day,” said Bolduan. “It’s going to feel more immersive and visual – all while still delivering unparalleled coverage of the day’s news that our audiences have come to expect from CNN.”
The afternoon edition of News Central will be presented by Brianna Keilar, Boris Sanchez, and Jim Sciutto out of Washington D.C., and will premiere two weeks from today. We hear the debut dates are staggered because the D.C. set is still under construction.
Both news programs are being produced from CNN’s Atlanta offices.