New York-CNNfn, which will expand its schedule to 24 hours each weekday starting June 20, will add three live international business shows to its lineup, officials said last week.
The expansion in hours-something former CNNfn chief Lou Dobbs had long lobbied for-will increase the financial network's weekday schedule to 24 hours per day from its current 18 hours.
In April, CNNfn president Shelby Coffey announced that the network would finally go to 24 hours in June in order to better serve the needs of its West Coast viewers, to enhance its coverage of global business news and so that its content will be more viable for digital applications.
CNNfn currently airs from 6 a.m. to midnight weekdays, with supplemental coverage after that in most DMAs from CNN International.
Last week, CNNfn unveiled its extended schedule for the new 24-hour weekday lineup. Drawing on Cable News Network's global resources, CNNfn will add two live international programs from London and one from Hong Kong.
From London, two editions of World Business this Morning will present an introduction to the day's international news and political developments, with an emphasis on the opening European markets. The programs are based at CNNfn's London bureau. World Business this Morning will air live from 1:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. to 3 a.m.
The third international show to be added to CNNfn's lineup is Biz Asia, the longest-running global TV program dedicated to covering Asian business news. Lorraine Hahn anchors live from CNN International's Hong Kong studio. The half-hour Biz Asia will debut on CNNfn in the fall, airing at 5:30 a.m.
The remainder of CNNfn's overnight schedule will be filled in with repeats of programs aired earlier in the day by the network, such as Digital Jam, Moneyline News Hour and Entrepreneurs Only.
Coffey is in the process of revamping CNNfn's schedule, trying to make it more competitive against financial-news powerhouse CNBC.
As part of that effort, CNNfn last week debuted a morning market show called Market Call, which will be hosted by CNN stock-exchange correspondent Rhonda Schaffler. The daily show will air from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Jack Cafferty will also update viewers on the morning's business-news headlines.
Also last week, CNBC veteran Allan Chernoff joined CNNfn as a senior correspondent. He will report and provide analysis on business and financial news. And CNNfn has a new show on mutual funds in the works.
Coffey's other changes at CNNfn include adding technology show The N.E.W. Show, which stands for "new economy watch."
