SOLEDAD O’BRIEN
(YourBlackWorld.com)–CNN’s new boss Jeff Zucker recently took over the ratings challenged news network and is reportedly looking to make some major changes to increase viewership. According to the New York Post, one of Zucker’s first changes has been to replace morning anchor Soledad O’Brien with Erin Burnett.
Sources last week told the Post that O’Brien is reportedly ready to leave the network since CNN did not make good on its promise of granting her a prime-time slot. Zucker apparently feels that O’Brien’s brand of long form journalism doesn’t fit his vision for the network.
One source with knowledge of the rearrangement said, “The deal to move Erin to the morning alongside Chris Cuomo is basically done. Soledad had been told she’d get a prime-time slot, but that hasn’t yet happened, and now she is telling friends she is likely to leave.”
The unnamed source added: “Soledad is talented at producing in-depth, serious pieces of journalism, and is a tough interviewer. That doesn’t seem to fit the direction the network is going.”
A second source said, “Soledad is a big star, and would only stay for the right show. There’s word there will be a flurry of announcements at CNN very soon, including Erin’s move to the morning.”
According to the Associated Press, O’Brien won’t immediately be leaving CNN even though her job as morning show host is ending. Zucker said last Thursday that he has reached a deal to help fund a production company for O’Brien, who will be making three documentaries for CNN and host this year’s “Black in America” documentary.
O’Brien said the deal will let her do what she wants to do most, confronting difficult topics and telling underreported stories. She’ll also have the opportunity to own her work and the production company is able to sell material to outlets other than CNN.
Her new company, Starfish Media Group, will also develop theatrical and scripted television projects.
O’Brien has been with CNN since 2003, when she began anchoring American Morning, but up until recently, she had devoted most of her time at CNN to specials like Black in America. She’s anchored the current morning show, “Starting Point,” since January of last year.
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