CNN promotes Ali Velshi to anchor; Heidi Collins is leaving the network

Seeking to bolster its daytime lineup, CNN is making another anchor switch to kick off the new year. The network is giving chief business correspondent Ali Velshi his own two-hour daily show from 10 a.m. to noon PST, a time slot currently anchored by Kyra Phillips, who will take over the 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. PST hours.

Heidi Collins, who had been anchoring “CNN Newsroom” during that time, is leaving the network.

"After seven years of dedicated service to CNN, Heidi Collins will be leaving the network on January 15," a network spokeswoman said. "We thank Heidi for her contributions to the network and wish her the best."

Velshi, a veteran financial reporter, already hosts “Your $$$$$,” a weekend business round-table that airs on the network, as well as “The Ali Velshi Show” on CNN Radio. 

His new show, debuting Jan. 18, will be more broadly focused and not solely about the day’s business headlines. But Velshi said he plans to apply the same approach he’s taken to financial news: breaking down complicated issues so the audience can better grasp their real-life implications.

“It sometimes means avoiding just the politics about how something is getting done and really just tackling it,” said Velshi, who is moving to CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta. He will continue to serve as chief business correspondent.

A native of Kenya who was raised in Toronto, Velshi got his start in broadcasting in Canada, then joined CNN in 2001 as an anchor on CNNfn, the now-defunct financial channel.

Velshi’s new show will launch the same day that anchor Rick Sanchez gets his own expanded two-hour show in the afternoon. “Rick’s List,” which will be built in part around the feeds Sanchez gets on his Twitter account, will bump “The Situation Room” down from three hours to two. The truncated “Situation Room” will lead into a new 4 p.m. PST show anchored by veteran political reporter John King, who takes Lou Dobbs’ former time slot some time in the coming weeks.

-- Matea Gold

Comments

[MusicLover]

CNN's still on the air?

[kman919]

Cafferty with his own show...absolutely not. Cafferty use to be a news anchor on local nbc in nyc years ago and he was over the top then as he is now but he comes with some baggage. CNN heads probably realize giving him his own show would be a bad move because he can become extremely controversial and clownish and he did have a drinking problem which he has probably beat. Heidi collins is a dime stunningly beautiful at least to me thats usually one of the reasons as a man would make me watch a particular news program as well as the content but a beautiful women does cheer me up. Sanchez is what he is...annoying yet palpible. That other guy tj the so called hansome god to a lot of women is ok but the clarity of his voice is not clear, I find myself turning up the volume when I hear his commentary. Lou Dobbs was a windbag and Velshi is a rare find the guy is simply brilliant. Good job with the news content CNN just add 2 or 3 more beauties and I won't have to look at fox once in a while for news with a beautiful face..not ugly O'reilly...lol.

[joebhed]

To Ali Velshi

I read that your new show will continue to work on breaking down really complicated issues so that people could really understand the implications of those complicated issues on their everyday lives.
Great!
That's just what we need.
How about the monetary system?

[cluegirl]

Velshi is just the pits. He doesn't seem very bright, i find him unwatchable. At least Rick is funny. I like Don Lemon, he's pleasant. Wolf Blitzer is beyond boring, glad they're cutting back his show. & how can you not like Jack Cafferty?

[Dee]

Nice new lineup, except for the addition of John King ( a right-winger who can't hide it). I still prefer MSNBC. Heidi was a turn-off.

[Kirkrrt]

CNN is trying to catch up in the race to the bottom of the barrel. Get rid of all journalists and promote the fools to entertain the audience. It worked for FOX.

Time to stop watching all together.

[Eduardo Lozano]

There is no mention of my personal hero, Tony Harris.
I will miss Heidi Collins. She has done a fine, fine job.

[frank trampush]

Heidi, She was good looking,Intelligent,was a very good Anchor, and down to earth, we will miss her.

Ali has to show he will be a good for his own show.

Move john king into retirement and, bring back Soladad Obrian

[reese]

Heidi is the best
I would also prefer Betty Nguyen over kyra

[Jim]

Are you KIDDING ME??? Rick Sanchez is a frigging joke; he talks over and through his guests. His ego apparently won't allow a guest to get a word in edgewise; either that or he just loves hearing his own voice.

Heidi is golden... CNN has made a terrible mistake here. Good luck and god bless you Heidi. We, as a family, will miss your intelligent and unbiased reporting. You have been a member of our family for years; we are saddened by your departure.

[Don Finley]

Getting rid of Heidi and promoting Rick is the last straw. Hope someday CNN tries the news again. Bye it was good once....

[Carol]

Idiots!!! Heidi is the only reason I still watch CNN in the mornings. No one else is worth watching. Guess I will be all FOX now. Thanks CNN I dont have to watch the clock in the mornings now to make sure I dont miss Heidi. I will just flick on Fox and stay. Ali pushed for the bailout and look were we are now he is as stupid as those deaf people in washington. Wish we could vote him out like americans are going to vote out those idiots.

[Nancy]

I like Heidi Collins. I don't like most of the beautiful women that the 24-hour news channels put front and center but I like her. She seems smarter than the other incessant blatherers who ask stupid questions and try to whip up artificial controversies. I'll miss Heidi's intellligent composure, which I like much better than artificial earnestness and forced "edginess."

[Lorraine]

I will miss heidi collins. She was a great anchor. Hopefully if she is going to another network I will find her there. Kyra Phillips does great also. I also love the Rich Sanchez show and Wolf Blitzer. Unless heid collins just wanted to retire, hopefully cnn will use her again. Tony Harris is also an anchor I enjoy watching. I and I know others will absolutely miss Heidi Collins. Best wishes to you Heidi. It is definitely Cnn's loss. I do not like Fox news because it is so biased. But I have to give them credit for keeping their people employed there & showing loyalty in this regard. This is definitely lacking on the part of CNN regarding longterm anchors.

[Linda]

I loved Heidi Collins! Will miss her--a bad choice to let her go.

Can't stand to listen to Wolf Blitzer--he pauses at all the wrong places in words and sentences and it drives me crazy!

[Linda Rivers]

I always felt Heidi over-dressed for her newscast, in that she wore "goth-like" jewelry. I thought she should have been referred to as Madam Heidi. So I am somewhat happy to see such a distraction leave.

Ali is a good choice for a replacement, but so is Jack Cafferty. I like Jack's (in-your-face) attitude. I think he gives any show a NEW ATTITUDE!

In the meantime, it is a new decade -- and that usually means time for new beginnings. So RIGHT ON for CNN. I am a big supporter and will continue to watch.

TIME FOR CHANGE!

Linda

[Vickie]

Personally, I will miss Heidi Collins in the morning line-up. She has done a fantastic job. I think CNN is making a gigantic mistake! They should have done one of their famous POLLS and found out that they were making a bad move. I hope to see Heidi show up on another news network somewhere and that is where my DVR will be set. Thanks CNN for not giving us any warning and for screwing up your show...

[Linda Schafer]

Heidi Collins is one of the best news reporters on CNN. Can't believe you are doing this. Remove Sanchez. He is terrible. Soledad O'Brian and Heidi kept me watching CNN. Looks like it's MSNBC all the time now.

[David]

I was shocked this morning as I listened to Heidi Collins announce she was leaving CNN. By mid-morning I was furious. Velshi, Sanchez and Phillips? Are you kidding? Heidi Collins is the consummate professional and the only reason to watch CNN in the morning. My morning news choice will no longer be CNN. Best of luck to Heidi. She deserves better.

[Larissa]

The one bright spot that I see with the new lineup is that Rick Sanchez will go from one to two hours! Still---- What a bummer that Heidi decided to leave! I hope she left to be with her baby boy and not because of some lame decision by the network.

Ali is okay, but I think he's better covering financial and tech issues than he is with general news. I'd rather see them give Ivan Watson a show :p!! He's been covering the devastation in Haiti better than anyone I've seen on any network, bar none. I think he'd be incredible teamed up with Kyra.

Rick Sanchez introduced "Brooke Baldwin" a little while ago, who he said will have a two hour slot during weekdays (I didn't catch the time she'll be on) and I wonder if bringing her in could have effected Heidi's timeslot?

Anita who wrote on here "I won't watch CNN as long as Wolf Blitzer is on 3 hours day......" Re-read the article and you'll see his show is being cut by one hour to make way for all the other changes.

I'll miss Heidi, but wow.. I wouldn't watch "Fixed News" if you paid me!!