Antonio Mora

Antonio Mora, the former Chicago television news anchor, has been hired by Al Jazeera America as host of "Consider This," a Monday-through Friday night current affairs talk show.

The program debuts Aug. 20, coinciding with the launch of the cable news channel. Backed by the Bedouin oil billionaires of Qatar, Al Jazeera America will have access to 49 million households previously served by Current TV, which the new network acquired earlier this year.

Mora, 55, a Cuban native and Harvard-educated lawyer, served as main news anchor at CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2 for six years. He left in 2008 to join WFOR-TV, the CBS-owned station in Miami, where he worked until last December.

It's a return to network news for Mora, who had been news anchor of ABC's "Good Morning America" before he joined CBS 2 here in 2002.

“I am thrilled to be a part of an organization that’s committed to in-depth coverage of stories important to all Americans,” Mora said in a statement Friday. “I’m truly looking forward to tackling important issues with our guests and bringing forth the voices of everyday Americans affected by the topics we’ll discuss on the show.”

"Consider This" was described as a showcase for "hard-hitting interviews and panel discussions on issues important to American viewers."