CNN Names Executive Producer for Campbell Brown’s Show
Mitchell Semel to Be Named EP of Primetime Show, to Debut in February
By Marisa Guthrie -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/9/2007 9:48:00 AM
Mitchell Semel, a former comedy-development executive at CBS and NBC, was tapped to be the executive producer for Campbell Brown’s CNN show.
Semel does not come from the ranks of news producers, although he has considerable experience in the talk-show milieu with oversight roles on Craig Kilborn’s and Tom Snyder’s shows at CBS, Greg Kinnear’s and Conan O'Brien's shows at NBC and Politically Correct with Bill Maher when it was on Comedy Central.
“He’s a news junkie who’s not constrained by having grown up in the news business,” said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. “I think a lot of primetime cable has fallen into a predictable pattern and we want to bust out of that and, by the way, [Semel] has a track record of accomplishing that.”
Like Paula Zahn before her, Brown will be competing with two outspoken male pundits -- MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann and Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly -- in the 8 p.m. hour. CNN will again attempt to mount a counterprogramming choice with Brown’s show, which is set to debut in late February.
“I think there’s a conventional wisdom that the only thing you can do in cable is have an over-the-top, opinionated host, period. And that couldn’t possibly be the case,” Klein said, adding that viewers looking for news will have an alternative at 8 p.m.
Semel officially starts Nov. 12, when he will begin fleshing out the format particulars with Brown.
Semel also supervised and designed the launch of the Pentagon Channel Web site for the Department of Defense, according to his Web site.
Brown jumped to CNN from NBC News last fall. Her primetime show, which will air at 8 p.m. beginning late February, will be a mix of topical news and interviews. She’ll make her debut on the network Nov. 15 during CNN’s Democratic debate in Las Vegas, where she’ll be a panelist along with American Morning’s John Roberts. CNN political anchor Wolf Blitzer will moderate the debate.
Brown, who had to sit out a noncompete clause in her NBC contract until this month, is pregnant with her first child and due in late December. (Her husband, Dan Senor, is a Republican strategist and Fox News Channel contributor.)
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tel campell not to take so dayes of i like when she givves us news thanks larry
larry ginsberg - 4/30/2010 8:45:18 AM EDT -
it is obvious that she can not be objective, her nonverbals (facial expressions, tone of voice) shows her prejudices; for goodness sakes put Wolfe, John K., AC, or Lou instead; she should be part of the commentary panels- because it is obvious she can't keep it together to moderate objectively
Jo Smith - 5/30/2008 8:31:00 PM EDT -
Campbell Brown stinks. Get her off the air.
dlc - 4/24/2008 10:31:00 PM EDT -
what nite can we see Cambell Brown on CNN and at what time. Live in So. Calif.
richard barton - 11/14/2007 3:11:00 PM EST -
Campbell Brown's new gig at CNN is CBS's Evening News loss. Instead of Katie Couric, who has a long history of spitting out words correctly, Campbell Brown subbing for Brian Williams while she was at NBC, was THE perfect choice if the "Top Dogs" at CBS News had any brains.
Katie Couric was a disaster waiting to happen doing nightly news anywhere. There are local markets who have better qualified candidates to read the CBS Evening News than Couric.
Katie's main talents were suited for "The View" and early morning talk, where she could be her perky self, laughing and joking with celebrities.
So, to CNN: You have hired a gem in Campbell Brown. Not only her beauty, but more importantly, she is the most talented newswoman on the networks. Congratulations to CNN! Good Luck, Campbell!
Jeff Ostach - 11/8/2007 10:38:00 AM EST
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