Dan Abrams
Dan Abrams, chief legal affairs anchor for ABC News, will host a one-hour primetime talk show for NewsNation, Nexstar Media’s Chicago-based cable news network, starting in September.
The debut of “Dan Abrams Live,” airing from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, was announced today along with the launch of “Morning in America," to be anchored from 6 to 9 a.m. weekdays by Adrienne Bankert.
Both programs will premiere September 27, boosting the network's output of live news, analysis and talk to 55 hours a week.
Adding Abrams is seen as a strategic move for Michael Corn, who took over as president of news in May after two decades at ABC News, where he was a senior executive producer who oversaw "Good Morning America" and "World News Tonight." Under Corn, NewsNation's primetime hours are evolving from straight news to talk and analysis, more consistent with the traditional cable news model.
NewsNation
“Dan Abrams is the epitome of the pure, common sense approach to journalism envisioned when NewsNation launched last September,” Corn said in a statement.
“He brings unparalleled expertise to our primetime lineup and emphasizes our ongoing commitment to help engaged viewers gain a better understanding of the day’s most controversial and complicated news stories. He has a fresh, no-holds barred approach to covering and analyzing the news, and his credibility is unquestioned.”
Abrams, who joined ABC News in 2011 after 15 years at NBC News, also hosts "The Dan Abrams Show: Where Politics Meets the Law" on SiriusXM Radio. The graduate of Duke University and Columbia University Law School and CEO and founder of Abrams Media served as general manager of MSNBC in from 2006 to 2007.
“Joining NewsNation is a welcome, natural fit for me," Abrams said in a statement. "Too much of cable news is polluted by partisanship with shows focused on indoctrinating viewers, unabashedly cheering for one side or another.
"We are committed to presenting independent-minded analysis and opinion on politics, media, and the most important stories of the day, exposing hypocrisy on all sides so viewers can make up their own minds. Always fact based, sometimes surprising, but never agenda driven—you might call it a cable news show for the rest of us.”
Variety reports Abrams will continue as chief legal analyst for ABC News. “Dan Abrams Live” will originate from studios at WPIX, the Nexstar Media station in New York.
Adrienne Bankert
Bankert joined NewsNation in April from ABC News, where she had been a New York-based national correspondent. The University of Southern California graduate also is the author of Your Hidden Superpower: The Kindness that Makes You Unbeatable at Work and Connects You with Anyone.
“I’m excited to bring a relatability to morning news that connects with the audience like never before,” Bankert said of "Morning in America."
“This show will be a conversation, putting stories in context and getting behind the headlines. And we are going to have fun. Even if people wake up on the so-called ‘wrong side of the bed,’ I want them to turn on the TV and be not only more informed, but feel better, even happier watching us.
"I believe we are called to a higher standard at NewsNation — to offer a variety of viewpoints across America and give dignity to every voice. That’s what you’ll find on 'Morning in America' five days a week.”
Despite subterranean ratings for NewsNation since its launch 10 months ago and more than its share of growing pains, Nexstar Media chairman and CEO Perry Sook remains committed to the project, by all accounts.
Friday’s comment of the day: Jordan Arseneau: All good things come to an end and every show runs its course. "Chicago’s Best’s" tongue-in-cheek humor, nimble production model and unique commitment to fans of neighborhood restaurants will stand the test of time. It will be fondly remembered and hopefully inspire new shows on TV or online that explore Chicago’s seriously good dining scene in a not so serious way. Cheers to CB!