Amanpour Gets Own Show, Finally

George Stephanopoulos will return to the show

(NEWSER) - Sunday morning news junkies will see a big change come Jan. 8: Christiane Amanpour is leaving her gig as host of ABC's This Week and will be replaced by former host George Stephanopoulos. Amanpour will work on prime-time specials for the network and develop a new show focusing on world news for CNN, reports the Huffington Post . Stephanopoulos will continue hosting Good Morning America, but probably on a four-day-a-week schedule, notes AP . More»

Every cable news channel sees drop-off for first time in 12 years

(NEWSER) - CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News all lost viewers last year for the first time in at least 12 years, a study finds. A Pew journalism group found a combined 13.7% drop in viewership, the largest decline of any news sector, and all three networks fell for the first time since the group began keeping track. Broadcast news, meanwhile, continued its decline with a 3.4% drop in 2010, the Hollywood Reporter notes. More»

Opening in White House press room ignites speculation

(NEWSER) - Fox News and Bloomberg have already called dibs on the front-row seat in the White House briefing room held for decades by Helen Thomas, but will either one get it? The White House Correspondents Association will make the call, and Thomas, who retired in disgrace today , isn't talking. Pretty much everyone else with even a passing interest is, though. "For Fox to inherit her seat would be a pretty dispiriting coda to the whole affair," Greg Sargent writes for the Plum Line blog . More»

You know, just in case CNN gig falls through

(NEWSER) - Eliot Spitzer is rumored to be a possible replacement for Campbell Brown on CNN , and in case he doesn’t get that job, Olivia Allin of The Frisky suggests 10 alternatives:

• Britney Spears’ assistant: “The logic here would be that since he’s apparently attracted to sexual young women, Britney could scare him off of that addiction”—and he could help her regain control of her life in the process.
• Unpaid prostitute: “Wouldn’t it be cool if Spitzer were forced to sleep with people he wasn’t attracted to?”

Foreign correspondent is odd fit for DC-centric This Week

(NEWSER) - Christiane Amanpour isn't an obvious choice to host ABC’s Sunday gabfest This Week, but the network is confident in its choice. ABC says “Interviews and analysis about domestic politics and policies” will remain the show's focus, with the addition of an “international perspective.” Counting on a woman who speaks with an accent rather than a white male Washington insider to spearhead the change is a daring move, Michael Calderone writes for Politico . More»