I do think in this cluttered environment, people are looking more and more to individuals. People want to know the people they’re getting their information and news from. We plan on not just being on cable; we hope The Arena will be on social media and online in innovative ways. The connection that I’m hoping to make with the audience is one that can cut through all this noise and make The Arena stand out.
Fox News recently launched a new show at 4 p.m. ET with Will Cain, and you two will be going head-to-head. How will you approach that time slot, especially seeing opinion programming creeping more into the dayside aspect of TV?
Well, I’m a reporter first and you can look at my background and understand that’s where I come from. I really do believe that there is a place for real reporting on cable. I also don’t spend a lot of time comparing myself to my competitors. I think that the best way for me to succeed is to be authentic to myself, because I think viewers can see right through you if you’re not.
So what you’re going to get at 4 p.m. on CNN is the show that I do and you will see me as a reporter and analyst. I’m not an opinion host and I don’t have any intention of being an opinion host. Obviously we’re all competitive, and everyone is quite well aware of the trends in cable news and how they’re changing. The only thing I can do is just go on air every day and put on the best show I possibly can.
What’s one thing we should look forward to when watching the premiere episode of The Arena?
I am not sure I can quite reveal a lot on that yet, but I am excited about the guests that we have lined up, both for our first day and hopefully our first week as well. I’m also really excited to show everybody how it’s going to look, because I think that the team that has worked on our graphics and music and all that have done a really great job. I can’t wait for everybody to see it.
