Let me say at the outset: I think Christiane Amanpour got a bum rap from many critics, partisans and bloggers. She was a highly informed, outward looking and thinking host of ABC’s “This Week” and it was refreshing to see someone on American television whose focus was not soley on our domestic political horse races. That being said, this does not surprise me one bit:
Christiane Amanpour is leaving the anchor chair of ABC’s “This Week” and returning to her old network home, CNN, as the anchor of an evening newscast on CNN International.
The changes, confirmed Tuesday evening, come a year and a half after Ms. Amanpour surprised her colleagues at CNN by leaving the network to anchor “This Week,” the Sunday morning public affairs program on ABC.
There, she replaced George Stephanopoulos, who had moved to the ABC’s weekday morning program, “Good Morning America.” Mr. Stephanopoulos will return to anchor “This Week” while remaining on GMA.
“This Week,” with its focus on domestic politics, was always perceived to be an unexpected shift in direction for Ms. Amanpour, who is known globally for her coverage of foreign conflicts. Effective sometime next year, she will shift back to CNN as the anchor of a new program on CNN International, the version of CNN that is seen outside the United States.
“In a unique arrangement with ABC News, Christiane will continue to report for their news programs, as well,” the CNN Worldwide chairman Jim Walton said in a memo Tuesday evening.
Mr. Walton added, “We could not be happier than to welcome back to the CNN organization the leading international journalist working in television news, who also happens to be our longtime colleague and friend.
This is not simply face saving — but it makes sense.
Amanpour was never completely or adequately used by ABC News. Her professional story is in some ways parallel to CBS’s Katie Couric who did great interviews and perfectly fit the NBC Today Show format but who was not used well or properly by her CBS News producers. In show biz terms, over the years there have been great actors or comedians who never were used correctly by Hollywood or television –their talents never fully mined, or misused.
Three things:
1. CNN needs Amanpour, who fits in perfectly with the news and analysis heavy-content style of that 24/7 cable news channel. Her reports will also fit in well with CNN International.
2. ABC needs to use Stephanopoulos more. Yes, he’s fine on GMA but he is to ABC in political news terms what the late Tim Russert was to NBC. He’ll also better position the Sunday broadcast to go up against NBC’s David Gregory and one of the true jewels of news today, CBS’ Bob Schieffer.
3. Having her continue to use her foreign news/foreign policy expertise on ABC is a masterful idea. Foreign reporting is her forte. It enhances ABC’s news product.
Which is NOT to say she was lacking as host of “This Week.” Perhaps in ratings.
But she was a pro on that program and typecasting is hard to overcome for not just viewers — but for TV critics and political pundits.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.