CNN taps John King to replace Lou Dobbs

CNN is handing Lou Dobbs’ 4 p.m. PT time slot to anchor John King, whose encyclopedic political knowledge and deft use of technology made him one of the network’s standouts during last year’s political coverage.

King, who anchors the network’s Sunday morning show, “State of the Union,” will start his daily show early next year and give up the weekend program. The network this morning described the program as a “definitive political hour” in which King will interview newsmakers, political reporters and elected officials.

“The program will reflect what CNN is all about: straight facts from our anchors and the widest range of opinions from across the political spectrum,” CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein said in a statement. “John has enthralled CNN viewers with his vast political knowledge, and he has spent the past year reporting from beyond the Beltway on pressing policy issues and the real people they impact. Every night, he’ll share his passion and his insights about what is really going on in Washington and across America.”

King said he planned to use his new platform “to discuss and explore the big issues of our time.”

“There is a lot of noise and conflict in our political discourse, which is fun to cover, but I’m convinced from my travels that people also thirst for more details as well as insight and context,” he said. “I’m looking forward to combining those conversations with top newsmakers, smart reporting and expert analysis.” The anchor came to CNN in 1997 from the Associated Press.

The move comes after Dobbs made a surprise announcement on his program Wednesday that he was resigning after nearly 30 years at the network.

-- Matea Gold

Comments

[Claudio]

Thanks God he's gone! The guy was obsessed for illegal imigrants

[Scott Davis]

Ugh. Lou Dobbs was bad, but now John King? My friends and I used to watch him as he haplessly voted during the debates, constantly having to withdraw his vote and switch it back over to the other candidate, sometimes voting incorrectly twice in his quest to punch the correct button.

And then there's the screen. My daughter is more tech savvy. What a pitiful day for CNN.

[swf]

John King is so in awe of his interview subjects that he doesn't bother to do his homework in order to challenge the subject's veracity or the sources of their information. Any crazy can go on and say anything that comes into their heads, and bobble-head King sits there and give you his best plastic smile. Another bad decision Mr. Klein.

[Debbie]

CNN will be much better without Dobbs. Can call himself whatever he chooses but he is just another angry white old man.

As far as John King goes...IF he sticks to what he does best with "facts" and skips giving his "opinion" then he will do fine.

I watch CNN to get the news first and have it with accurate facts. I think one of the reasons CNN has slipped so much is they moved from what they did best with first in the news, with facts, and left the people to their own opinions. Now they have all these talking heads, giving their opinion or slant (as Dobbs) and it just made you change the channel.

[Nick]

Good riddance, Dubbs! Next stop: jail. Have a nice ride!

[toledo pete]

i really WAS HOPING that CNN would take this opportunity of air-time to fill, and produce more ''BLACK IN AMERICA'' specials AND THEN RUN THEM INCESSANTLY,
like to the point that every single commercial break (during which it is painfully apparent that CNN cannot actually SELL any advertising time) you are bombarded with two commericals for CNN ''BLACK IN AMERICA''- SANS any counterbalancing opinion or reality intrusions...

... oh wait, that IS what CNN does..

CNN=Cable Noose Network- a hybrid between BET and Goebbels...

CNN is basically the Black /latino news network today,

which is why it has NO RATINGS, since those groups - if they even want to watch the news, will go to their own ethnic sources for the ''news'', not listen to a bunch of white liberals who they dont need anymore.

Dobbs is persona non grata in the non-white community, which means its good hes leaving CNN, but in the end its CNN's loss as they are trying to cater to communities that dont buy/respond to their advertisers, and a simply not that valuable.. once again, this is why CNN HAS NO RATINGS.. except for DOBBS, and they forced him out!!..lol..losers

[daphne]

oh boy.. here comes more , thousands more, strange, pointlesss, pandering, 'Black in America' reruns..

[Ben]

John king is an excellent choice to replace controvertial Lou Dobbs. He is knowledgeble, intelligent and will bring a take no prisoner attitude to the program . While I admire some of the things Lou stood for, I am quite disappointed by the arrogance, anger and unnecessary big daddy tonque lashing Lou dishes out to opposing views.

[Craig A]

I've always found Lou to be intertaining and I'll miss him, a little. All he ever seemed to do is criticize and polk fun at our lousy politicians. What's wrong with that? Of couse it is easier to criticize than it is to take a position and defend that position. I never heard Lou take a position on anything except being against illegal immigration and for legal immigration. I'm unaware of his being an advocate of a solution to dealing with the reality of 8-15 million people (depending on who you want to believe) that are here illegally. He views McCain Feingold as amnesty, but fails to advocate any alternative. I've never heard his radio show, maybe he's different there.

[Arturo Herrera]

Lou Dobbs bought Fox(Faux)news to CNN. The best insight to Dobbs are the racist comments herein (hello 'toledo') which attempt to call CNN a 'black/brown network'. When will our America stop this race baiting and get better. We can only hope that in the horizon, within just a couple generations these 'toledo' types will die out. Personnally I watch MSNBC and switched because of Dobbs.

[tommy mack]

Keep it simple: FOX is utterly right wing, MSNBC is utterly left wing, and CNN plays it down the center with true objective news.

Unfortunately, Americans hate objectivity and relish theatre, hence low DOMESTIC rating.. CNN and BBCA are the only trustworthy news sources on cable. Luckily, they have a true world market for people who actually like to learn.

[Aaron]

Ok, did the LA Times stop to read this press release before they published it? It reads more like a promo in the TVGuide than an actual new article.

John King is about as hard hitting as this article.

[bill codner]

lou dobbs was the only thing cnn had left as far as opinon goes. liberalism is their cause and lou didn't like it. lou was great at telling the truth and cnn doesn't like the truth and everyone in their right mind knows it, hence their continuing slide in ratings against FOX ,who everyone loves as the great truth sayer, wins out bigtime. Whoever is running Cnn should be fired immediately since he has his own wrecking ball on the cnn building in atlanta!

i am from ga folks and cnn is in my back yard and i am ashamed of them in the way they are trying to outdo pmsnbc in trying to kiss a_ _ with the obama crowd who are quickly taking this country to hell

lou, i hope you will go to FOX because they need you and we need you because you are wonderful to watch and listen to and you were the last bastion of cnn that i watched so cnn has been wiped off my channel selections now!

thanx, lou, for 30 years of truth!

Bill Codner