CNN Election Coverage, Election Center Prime Time Specials

John Roberts filled in Friday for Wolf Blitzer who is the regular host of the ‘Election Center’ specials on CNN at 8pm. That’s the election special that is filling the hour through February 5. It’s the same hour that Campbell Brown will fill when she joins CNN prime time in March.

There is such great interest in this election season that CNN is smartly focusing it’s floating hour of prime time on election content. While CNN is only committed to the show publicly through next week, expect it to continue. The race is far from over. The Democratic battle is among the hottest election contests in recent decades. The GOP race is not over yet but perhaps is a little farther along than the Democrats. The ratings for the show have done fairly well. The show scores highest on night’s that a debate follows on CNN. (See ratings for Wednesday on TVNewser.com) But even outside of debate nights, these election specials gain more traction than Rick Sanchez’s ‘Out in the Open’ specials.

As for John Roberts who was substituting tonight, he is much easier to watch in this new environment than on ‘American Morning’. As a whole, Roberts is far more easier to watch on CNN than he ever was on CBS. When it comes to Blitzer, I’m torn. I know how CNN wants to rely on his experience but he is not the easiest CNN talent to watch. In fact, he’s a little tough to watch. It’s the wealth of election content that CNN put around him that benefits him. Bernard Shaw was the last CNN NEWS anchor that was truly suited for his prime time role. Larry King is a different genre. Anderson Cooper is… well enough said. The women of CNN prime have not clicked. CNN needs another Shaw. Blitzer is not it in my humble opinion. BUT AGAIN, the content and depth of the CNN political unit makes Blitzer’s performance watchable.

It’s an exciting time in cable news. In the day-to-day battle, FOX News is in clear control. On nights when CNN can showcase its political chops, the network has a far better shot at competing again FOX. MSNBC is clearly still in the rear view mirrors. I predict that CNN will decide on February 6 to stick with its election focus at 8pm at least until Campbell Brown debuts in March. Even at that point, CNN will no doubt try to use Brown to help its political coverage by centering a great deal of her new show on politics.