Breaking news out of New York today: CNN has officially said it ain’t So-ledad. That’s right, morning-news fans, the cable channel announced that it has yanked its titanic a.m. twosome, the O’Briens (that is, Soledad and Miles), in favor of Fox vet Kiran Chetry and John "Not the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court" Roberts, formerly of CBS. (For more details on the switch, visit TVNewser.)
The departed will get new assignments at the network, but this turn of events still makes me sad. Now, I’ve never really been able to get a bead on Miles — I know that he’s not related to his co-anchor and that he’s a big aviation buff and that he’s not nearly as cuddly as Bill Hemmer. But I am a big fan of Soledad (pictured), who’s always seemed smarter than your average perky-purdy newswoman (just check out her wonderful commentary in Spike Lee’s Hurricane Katrina documentary, When the Levees Broke — which, hey, just won a Peabody!). Worse than merely seeing her go is the fact that her flight from the anchor chair means that there’s now one less person of color in a prominent position in TV news. When they say that this business is hurting, I now have one more reason to agree wholeheartedly.
Anyway, are you with me, PopWatchers? Any thoughts on the change? Honestly, how long do you think it will be before Wolf Blitzer is hosting every show on CNN?
Boooo CNN. Love Soledad. Back in my younger days I would always catch Soldad and Hemmer (before he betrayed journalism and defected to Fox News) on American Morning. What a shame there are so many shows given to such awful newcasters as Nancy Grace, Glenn Beck, Scarborough, Tucker, etc. and not to real talent like Soledad.
I am have been dying to see more generic middle aged white guys in TV. Thank God my prayers have been answered.
They should’ve kept the Hemmer-Soledad team intact. He was funny in that nerdy guy way, and accessible, and she’s whipsmart … and doesn’t have katie couric’s scary fucshia lipstick or diane sawyer’s stiffness. she’s a working mom who was both hardhitting AND up on pop culture.
Too bad-she’s great. John Roberts-well I always thought he should have gotten Dan Rather’s old seat. Oh well.
Say it isn’t So(ledad)!
Stephen Colbert isnt going to be happy.
Kiran Chetry is also a person of color so what’s the problem? Soledad is great but ignoring Kiran’s ethnic background just cause she came from FOX is just wrong.
Solidad? Please… she was a breath of fresh air. She makes Katie Couric look like an amateur. And John Roberts? Hmmm…. didn’t he do MTV back in the dinosaur days?
This is sad news. But CNN has been doing this for years. Most of their
really good people don’t last too
long anymore….
This is sad news. But CNN has been doing this for years. Most of their
really good people don’t last too
long anymore….
I’m hugely disappointed by this. I’ve been watching Soledad since she hosted the weekend edition of the “Today” show. She was a joy to watch then and got even better on CNN. I hope Soledad can go somewhere else where she’s appreciated. I know I’ll watch her.
I don’t like this. I miss Carol Lin and now Soledad. Maybe it’s time to switch channels.
I am so saddened by this. Soledad ROCKS. Such a cool and accessible reporter. The woman says what was on her mind, smart as a whip and wasn’t a robot. Just a note.. Hemmer didn’t defect to Fox, he was canned by the idiots at CNN. I wasn’t crazy about Miles, I missed Bill but he is for sure better than John Roberts….UGHHHHH!
I am so saddened by this. Soledad ROCKS. Such a cool and accessible reporter. The woman says what was on her mind, smart as a whip and wasn’t a robot. Just a note.. Hemmer didn’t defect to Fox, he was canned by the idiots at CNN. I wasn’t crazy about Miles, I missed Bill but he is for sure better than John Roberts….UGHHHHH!
This is a travesty! You get punished for being poised,confident and intelligent? Soledad is by far my favorite TV news personality. I refuse to watch these generic folk.