Kyra Phillips to Anchor New HLN Daytime Show

'Early Start's Ashleigh Banfield to take over her former 'CNN Newsroom' post

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/26/2012 10:53:58 AM

There are more changes afloat at CNN and its sister network HLN.

CNN Newsroom 11 a.m. anchor Kyra Phillips is moving over to HLN to launch a new daytime program later this summer. In a memo to staff announcing the move, HLN chief Scot Safon said "[t]he show will be built around Kyra's personality and passions, which include looking at the state of parenting and the modern family, civil rights and discrimination, children with disabilities and military families."

Taking over the 11 a.m. hour on CNN will be Ashleigh Banfield, who had been hosting the network's 5-7 a.m. program Early Start alongside Zoraida Sambolin since its premiere last January. John Berman, who CNN hired from ABC News last month, will co-anchor with Sambolin starting in July.

The moves are the latest in a string of tweaks CNN has been making to its schedule in the wake of flagging ratings, including hiring Anthony Bourdain to launch a weekend show in 2013 and canceling John King, USA.