What a surprise. And we’re not being sarcastic.
CNN’s chief national correspondent John King, whose show, John King USA, tanked in the summer of 2012, is getting a new Sunday morning political show to show up all the other great ones out there. (And yes, now we’re being sarcastic.)
The network announced today in a release that Inside Politics is scheduled to premiere Sunday, Feb. 2 at 8:30 a.m., ET. The 30-minute weekend program will feature a rotating group of America’s top political reporters who will provide an “insider’s look” into the key stories of the week. Sounds kind of like MSNBC’s Chris Matthews‘ former weekend show, but earlier and with King (YAWWWWN) in the driver’s seat.
The obligatory quotes:
“As we look ahead to the 2014 and 2016 campaigns, John is the ideal reporter to dissect the important political stories as Americans begin to think about their next president,” said Sam Feist, CNN senior vice president and Washington bureau chief. “John and his panel’s observations will give viewers a candid peek behind the week’s political headlines.”
“I’m honored to be part of bringing Inside Politics back to CNN, with a focus on ahead-of-the-curve political reporting,” said King, who has been with the network since 1997. “It’s a fascinating time in American politics, in Washington and across the country, and we have a remarkable group of journalists committed to sharing their reporting and their insights each week.”
Despite making a gargantuan error during last year’s Boston bombings — King claimed an arrest of a “dark-skinned male” had been made when it had not — and having questionable relationships within the network having married and fathered a child with colleague Dana Bash and then divorcing and dating an intern at the network, he was among the early survivors on Jeff Zucker‘s new island and seems to be securing quite a sweet spot for himself there.