Piers Morgan May Replace Larry King
... As Christiane Amanpour Dumps CNN for ABC
There's been a lot of speculations over what CNN might do to breathe some life into its faltering primetime lineup, especially given Campbell Brown's recent departure from her 8 p.m. slot and Larry King's abysmal ratings.
The latest rumor is that the network might be looking to throw a snarky British journalist into the fray."America's Got Talent" judge, Simon Cowell pal and former Daily Mirror editor, Piers Morgan is in talks with CNN about a possible panel show.
The Time Warner-owned cable network has hemorrhaged viewers to Fox News Channel and even lost some to its own sibling service, HLN. There's a talent drain as well: CNN recently lost Christiane Amanpour to ABC's "This Week" and Gerri Willis to Fox Business Network.
CNN currently has Campbell Brown's 8 p.m. slot open -- although a source said the network is also sounding out possible replacements for "Larry King Live." King's audience fell 43 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2009.
In recent days, disgraced former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer -- who's been appearing on MSNBC discussing politics -- has also been reported in talks about a possible role at CNN.
One veteran news executive speculated that Time Warner would likely give CNN's US president, Jonathan Klein, six more months and one last opportunity to boost prime time before seeking fresh blood.