Ali Velshi will anchor a new afternoon program on CNN in a schedule juggling act that also sees morning anchor Heidi Collins leaving the network.
Velshi, CNN's chief business correspondent, starting Jan. 18 will anchor a general newscast from 1-3 p.m. while maintaining his other roles, including co-anchoring the Your $$$$ weekend show.
Kyra Phillips will shift from an afternoon role to anchoring the 9-11 a.m. hours of CNN Newsroom. Collins, who has been anchoring from 9-11 a.m., is leaving on Jan. 15 after seven years at the network, CNN said.
Tony Harris continues from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by Velshi's slot and then by Rick Sanchez's Rick's List, from 3-5 p.m., also debuting Jan. 18.
"Ali has enormous range as a broadcaster, whether he's reporting breaking news about an attempted terror threat, traveling across the U.S. interviewing Americans about how the economy has affected them, or breaking down business issues as complex as the mortgage crisis or the stimulus plan. He's passionate and smart, and brings a level of expertise that viewers expect from CNN," CNN/U.S. president Jon Klein said.
