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CNN does some moving and cutting
©Associated Press NEW YORK -- Paula Zahn will switch from morning to prime time on CNN, one of a series of moves that illustrates the network's increased emphasis on news over opinion. CNN also is cutting in half its long-running political debate show, Crossfire, and moving it from the evening to the afternoon, according to a memo sent late Tuesday to staff members. The changes will take effect Monday. Zahn, host of CNN's successful American Morning newscast, has been working in the morning and evening since the war in Iraq started. She will be the anchor of the new American Evening newscast that will air from 7 to 9 p.m. "This will be a destination news program, developed over time, that will take full advantage of CNN's domestic and international resources," CNN general manager Teya Ryan said in the memo to her staff. American Evening replaces the one-hour Crossfire that had been airing at 7 p.m. and the news interview show with Connie Chung that was on at 8. Chung's show was dropped last month. Since taking over as CNN's chief executive during a busy news period this winter, Jim Walton has stressed news over opinion and personality, to try to further distinguish CNN from ratings leader Fox News Channel. In one of his first moves, Walton canceled the long-running afternoon show Talkback Live. Crossfire, the granddaddy of political shout shows on cable, will air from 4:30 to 5 p.m., Ryan said. It has been off the air since the start of the war, and questions had been raised about whether it would return. CNN executives sought to reassure Crossfire personalities James Carville, Paul Begala, Tucker Carlson and Bob Novak that they weren't being put out to pasture. "We have talked to the Crossfire anchors and have assured them all that we value their role across the network and intend to use them even more as we approach next year's presidential elections," Ryan said. Inside Politics, a one-hour afternoon show with Judy Woodruff as anchor, has also been cut to a half-hour and renamed Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics. Woodruff, based in Washington, also will be the anchor of a one-hour newscast in the old Talkback Live time slot, starting at 3 p.m. Bill Hemmer will replace Zahn at American Morning. CNN spoke to Jane Clayson, former anchor of The Early Show on CBS, about a role on its morning show, but she won't join the network, CNN spokeswoman Christa Robinson said. Left unclear was whether Zahn will have a co-anchor and what role will be played by Jack Cafferty, who was part of American Morning.
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