‘John King, USA' to Bow March 22 on CNN

Host's state-hopping interests invoked in promo

By Marisa Guthrie -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/5/2010 11:41:56 AM

John King's new CNN program - John King, USA - will bow March 22 at 7 p.m.

King made the announcement himself on March 5 via Twitter, where he posted a link to a promo for the new show, which fills the slot previously occupied by Lou Dobbs Tonight.

The show's title is in reference to King's Kuraltian persona; as host of his Sunday morning program State of the Union, he visited 50 states in 50 weeks.

"We will always have people out roaming the country," he says in the spot. "We will always have people looking for good stories out there. You cannot cover national politics by being in Washington D.C."

He also explains that he's "a little uncomfortable" with having his name in the title.

"One of the things they tell you in this business is that having your name associated with a show is important," he says.

The promo is a love letter to America, of sorts. It begins with a shot of King, a Boston native and died-in-the-wool Red Sox fan, in the batting cage at Fenway Park and segues to State House in Providence, R.I., where he began his career as an Associated Press reporter, and beyond to the highways and byways of America.

Michelle Jaconi, who was King's executive producer on SOTU, will also helm John King, USA.

Veteran political correspondent Candy Crowley replaced King on SOTU.