CNN Headline News changes

See this from TVNewser (CableNewser)

Rudi Bakhtiar Met With Roger Ailes Because...
She was released from her contract with CNN. Broadcasting & Cable follows up on Wednesday's TVNewser report that CNN Headline News anchor Rudi Bakhtiar met with Fox News to discuss a possible job at the network. She "has been anchoring the baby CNN's evening program for two years but isn't cutting it as CNN Group President Jim Walton plans yet another retooling of the channel," the trade pub says. "Bakhtiar (who didn't respond to our interview request) was offered a slot anchoring another daypart, but her contract says prime time, so the network is releasing her..."

So what will this "retooling" look like? At one point, insiders talked about three signature shows in prime time: A program featuring Court TV's Nancy Grace (whose contract calls for regular appearances on CNN), an entertainment show and a news program. Is that still the plan, or has Blue Sky changed? The changes are expected to premiere next month, so when will details leak out?...

> Update: 9am: Headline News staffers have been told to expect an announcement mid to late week regarding changes in schedules (layoffs?), according to one tipster...

# 12/6/2004

Confusion reigns. A broadcasting internet newsletter says that CNN have told them that Rudi Bakhtiar is on 'leave of absence'. She is still featured in promo's and her biog is stiil on the CNN.com website. We will see it due course.

I think I speak for the entire forum when I say:

Who?

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/bakhtiar.rudi.html

All very controversial, really. As I understand it, Rudi is a kind of figurehead presenter at HLN, and the current evening programme revolves very much around her - apparently she has quite a fanbase.

These primetime changes sound a bit daft to me - I thought the whole point of Headline News was that it didn't have opinion-led/feature programming.

So a presenter that none of us have heard of moves from a channel very few of us has seen to another channel

After yesterdays meeting between management and Headline News staff here's some detail on the forthcoming changes from TVNewser.

Tuesday, December 14
Exclusive: Unveiling The New CNN Headline News Primetime Schedule
Only on TVNewser: Ronaldo Santos updated CNN Headline News employees on the network's new primetime schedule at a staff meeting Monday afternoon, two sources tell TVNewser. Beginning early next year, here's how it looks: A legal show at 7, an entertainment show at 8, and an hour of news from Atlanta at 9. The legal and entertainment shows will re-air from 10pm to midnight.

Single-anchor news cut-ins will air at the top and bottom of the legal and entertainment shows. Mike Galanos and Erica Hill will anchor the 9 to 10pm newscast, an insider said. "Other talent assignments, including for new shows, are to be announced," one of the e-mailers said.

One CNNer speculated that the two new shows would air from CNNfn's soon-to-be-defunct studios overlooking Columbus Circle in NYC. (The newsroom and view are both spectacular.)

"One anchor shift was eliminated and all non-editorial operations were placed under CNN/US-HLN umbrellla," another source said. "Looks like there won't be any big layoffs, per se, as Rolando told us that all the people that will be let go, already know, and it's just a 'handful.'" The layoffs are not new -- the staffers involved (mostly on the technical side) had already been informed. A CNN representative stressed that no new layoffs were announced -- Monday's meeting was merely an update for staff.

Some CNNers aren't so sure about the new plan for primetime. "Legal and entertainment shows?," one staffer questioned. "Can't we leave that to CNNCNBCMSNBCFOXCOURT and whatever else network covers that stuff?" Apparently not. It sounds like an effective way to avoid stealing CNN's audience, though. The question of whether or not "Blue Sky" will snag young viewers is up in the air for now.