CNN Offering Paula Zahn's Job to Soledad O' Brian of NBC 'Weekend Today' [Dead Racoon Alert]

Hollwood Reporter and National Journal 'Wake Up Call' Section ^ | June 9, 2003 | Chuck Todd

[ewing]

Sources say that the Cable News Network has offered Soledad O'Brian of NBC's Weekend Today the spot now occupied by Paula Zahn on 'Amercian Morning' opposite Bill Hemmer.

Zahn's CNN countract is up next month

[ewing]

On to Extra, Inside Edition or Celebrity Justice..Paula!

[DoughtyOne]

I think Solidad O'Brian is being groomed to become the next Katie Couric. If I remember correctly, Solidad is part black which raises her stock with NBC, IMO. She already hosts the weekend Today show and probably gets more viewers than CNN could offer. CNN is on a downward spiral. I don't think I'd be too quick to jump ship if I were her.

She's had a relationship with NBC for around five to seven years.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Would be a stupid move for Soledad.

[lainie]

Zahn's not leaving, they're making a new evening show for her.

CNN woos NBC anchor O'Brien for 'Morning'

[rs79bm]

[ewing]

Thanks..

[ewing]

She cant wait for Katie to leave..

[dts32041]

I remmember soledad was more interested in a sun spracs work station than lying for liberals.

[rabidralph]

never heard of her. Is she an independent thinker or a typical 'rat anchor?

[ewing]

I disagree, she could be worth more as the sole morning person at CNN.

[ewing]

Soledad is a lib..

[TheExploited]

Daryn Kagan has a daily liberal spew on the morning show opposite Bill Hemmer. Almost anything would be an improvement.

[Benrand]

SHe comes off as less than intelligent.

[rocky88]

Didn't Soledad start out on Tech TV (formerly ZDTV??) I may be thinking of someone else....

[BaghdadBarney]

"Zahn's not leaving, they're making a new evening show for her."

I hate to say this but... I wouldn't discount Zahn's move to primetime. The "chic factor" could work for CNN considering the competition. She might have a slightly higher IQ than Kato Kaelin and she may project a conventional wisdom, liberal journalistic approach to her guests and viewers but she's got a built-in audience of professional males out there (just off work) who will change the channel for a short skirt here, tight-fitting sweater there. O'Reilly might be reaching but I can certainly see a mass exodus of viewers from that snot Olberman's show on MSNBC.

[Petronski]

"Dead racoon?"

[DoughtyOne]

I agree.

[ewing]

Kagan is the only decent one over there..

[DoughtyOne]

I'll add that I thought she was pretty spiffy until I witnessed a whine fest over fan mail that stated they thought she was attractive. This made her angry. I never cared about her heredity either, but she felt it necessary to proclaim that at one point.

I still think she's a capable person, but one that seems to carry some baggage at times.

[gridlock]

I think it must be a reference to her hair-style.

[VaBthang4]

Doesnt surprise me in the least...


Now, had they offered the position to a White Heterosexual Conservative Christian Male ....that would've surprised me.

[eleni121]

She appears to be frustrated with the cooking spots and chirps seriously when she can do the "serious interviews". Approriately grieved when her co anchor David Bloom died in Iraq...

A lightweight but aren't most talking heads?

[DoughtyOne]

Just to show how much I know about Zahn's slot, I thought she replaced Connie Chung/King, in the evening slot. O'Brian might be a good addition to the morning slot at CNN, but then she's a lib and I don't really want to see another claiming a top slot. The CNN morning slot would be better than what she has now, but I still think a future at NBC would be better than one at CNN.

[lainie]

Oh, I'm not discounting it -- just pointing it out. The pretty-blonde-chick factor could certainly work for her (some would argue it always has).

But, an exodus of viewers from Olberman would require first that he has viewers. :) (Is he on now? I have no idea. I thought he got the ax a long time ago.)

[ClearCase_guy]

She has an interesting name. I'm not sure of her age, but I recall a Black Panther sort of book published around 1970 called "Soledad Brother" about life in a California prison.

Perhaps she was born in the quiet town of Soledad, California. Or perhaps her parents idolized the Black Panthers.

[Porterville]

CNN did wonders for Paula who??? Soledad would be smart not to destroy her career going to that loser station. There biggest capital is Wolfy Blitzer, for God's sake.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Soledad is cuban.

[Petronski]

Gotcha. I'm a little slow/dense today, after the weekend.

[dts32041]

Yes she did and the high point for her was crawling to the largest earth mover on earth.

[SquirrelKing]

Solidad O'Brian is being groomed to become the next Katie Couric

[dts32041]

to=into

[BunnySlippers]

Soledad O'Brien is the WORST!!!!

[DoughtyOne]

LOL

[hattend]

She I cant wait for Katie to leave.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

He did get the axe, but he is back now.

[AGreatPer]

Who names their kid after a prison? Solodad.

[finnman69]

Soledad's name is a mutt's name.

it reminds me of gems like Ramon Goldstein. Jacques Ho. Timothy Al Hussein.

It just does not sound right.

[Consort]

Any relation to Conan?

[OldFriend]

Zahn would get more viewers than Greta but less than Joe Scarborough at the 10 oclock timeslot.

[OldFriend]

Problem for CNN is that Zahn garnered less ratings than Chung. Now she's hiding while they try a make-over of some kind.

[OldFriend]

Nothing can be worse than Judy Woofwoof

[djf]

The day of the shuttle tragedy, early on, before the debris field was found, she was running the films and interviewing a NASA dude.
There was obviously burning chunks coming off of it as big as a fridge, and all she kept asking was something like "Do you think this is indicative of some type of failure?" or some such.

I thought reporters were supposed to have some semblence of deductive reasoning.

[BaghdadBarney]

my bad. didn't mean to insinuate you "discounted" anything. As for Olberman: You may not believe this but his viewership is on the rise according to Nielsen. Of course, it's not like he has any competition besides O'Reilly. Any hard-core lib who takes the time watch Olber-scum for more than 10 minutes will warm to the stacked lib panels and snide anti-GOP remarks of the host...

[ewing]

Yes, but Katie isn't going anywhere soon..

[1Old Pro]

She cant wait for Katie to leave..

That makes two of us.

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Why would you countracts? This is a series question.

[DoughtyOne]

I doesn't appear so does it. I wouldn't put it past NBC to create a slot for O'Brian even possibly the evening news slot, the ultimate PC move.

[ewing]

I think Brian Williams is all but assured of Brokaw's spot.

[Aquinasfan]

Paula always looks like she's taken too many Dexatrims.

[DLfromthedesert]

Olberman is gorgeous!!!!