HLN has announced that Carol Costello’s new show, Across America, will debut next month and air from 11 AM until 1 PM. That timeslot means that Michaela, hosted by Michaela Pereira, will move to 3-5 PM timeslot. In between the two is On the Story with Erica Hill.
“Our enhanced line-up puts HLN in the best position to succeed, further fulfills our viewer promise to provide a comprehensive look at the news in a fast-paced approachable tone, and drives the strongest lead-up to fringe and prime,” HLN head Ken Jautz said in a staff memo.
Across America and Michaela will both air from Los Angeles while On the Story airs from New York City and morning show Morning Express broadcasts out of CNN’s worldwide headquarters in Atlanta.
HLN has been undergoing a CNNification process as the news network seeks a new identity. The outlet previously focused on crime and trial news, but it did not have enough high-profile cases to sustain the model. The CNN sister outlet then shifted towards being the social media network with coverage centered around what was popular online. That format was not successful, leading to HLN’s current focus on Midwestern America. The channel has often struggled with how to present news without competing too heavily with CNN. Costello, Pereira, and primetime host Ashleigh Banfield all jumped to HLN from CNN.