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CNN Cancels Eliot Spitzer's 'In the Arena'

Eliot Spitzer.
Lorenzo Bevilaqua
/
CNN
Eliot Spitzer.

As part of a broader lineup shakeup, CNN cancelled former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's political talk show "In the Arena." The move comes just nine months after CNN added the show to its lineup and five months after the show's original co-host Kathleen Parker exited because of low ratings.

The New York Times reports:

For Mr. Spitzer, who has tried to rehabilitate his public image since resigning the New York governorship in disgrace three years ago, the cancellation of "In The Arena" is a setback. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday, but in a statement provided by CNN, he expressed pride in his show.

"We engaged serious people in conversations about national and global issues in a way that was informative and challenging," he said in the statement. "I believe that we provided diverse and valuable perspectives during the show's tenure."

The executive in charge of CNN/U.S., Ken Jautz, said in an internal memorandum that the channel is currently "in discussions with Eliot Spitzer about an alternative role." But Mr. Spitzer's own statement cast doubt on that possibility; it concluded by saying, "I thoroughly enjoyed my time at CNN."

In a press release, CNN announced the reshuffled evening lineup: Anderson Cooper's AC360 will take "In the Arena's" spot at 8 p.m. and will re-air at 10 p.m. "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer" moves to 4 p.m. and Erin Burnett, who comes from CNBC, will take the 7 p.m. slot.

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Eyder Peralta
Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.