Here’s good news for centrists, moderates, independent voters and those who believe political talk can center on ideas rather than lash-out polemics: centrist talk show host Michael Smerconish is getting a new weekly show on CNN.
A cable show of his own is long overdue for Smerconish, a truly independent voice and thinker who seriously tackles issues and doesn’t deal in demonization and hack partisan talk. His talk radio show on XM radio is one of the most intelligent talk shows on the air and he has always been a standout when he filled in on MSNBC shows.
Some hosts on ideological cable shows may talk the talk about being independent, but Smerconish walks the walk. He doesn’t slip into partisan talking points but coolly criticizes parties and politicos when he feels it’s deserved. He’s not playing defense or rooting for a particular political party.
His new show will be a big plus for him and a plus for CNN, which has the potential of solidifying its positioning as a news network that is taking a different path from conservative Fox News and liberal MSNBC.
Michael Smerconish will join CNN as host of a new weekly program that will air live on Saturday mornings from New York, it was announced today by CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker. Smerconish will also provide analysis and opinion on CNN programming throughout the week. He joins the network this month.
“We are thrilled to have Michael join CNN,” said Zucker. “At a time when the cable news landscape has become increasingly polarized, his independence and passion for reasoned dialogue makes him the perfect fit for CNN.”
Most recently, Smerconish was an MSNBC contributor and for the last four years served as guest-host for Hardball with Chris Matthews. He will continue hosting his radio show The Michael Smerconish Program on SiriusXM Radio and writing a weekly column for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Said Smerconish, “I’ve long wanted to host a program of my own and I’m appreciative of Jeff Zucker for making that dream a reality. I think the type of content I seek to provide is perfectly suited for CNN’s non-ideological brand.”
Offering a “non-ideological brand” does not mean lacking passion or not taking positions. That’s often a mistaken assumption — confirmed by history — and an attack point by partisans or ideologues who seem to suggest anyone non-ideological, moderate, centrist or independent is a fraud if they take a position or don’t try to emulate a CSPAN phone in show host. Centrists, moderates and independents can be as passionate as partisans.
Prior to turning to media and broadcasting full-time Smerconish practiced law for ten years with James E. Beasley, a legendary Philadelphia-based trial lawyer, who is the namesake of the Beasley School of Law at Temple University. He is currently of counsel to the Philadelphia law firm of Kline & Specter. Smerconish graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Lehigh University. He remains a member of the Bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He lives in Pennsylvania with his family.
Welcome Michael Smerconish to a weekly cable show that is long overdue.
And soooooooo welcome..
Here’s Smerconish explaining a year ago that he moved to Sirius XM because didn’t like the way he had been branded and sought to to move beyond typical (and increasingly tiresome) talk show polarization:
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.