CNN Disbands 'Capital Gang' As Part of Schedule Shakeup
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Friday, June 24, 2005
"The Capital Gang" convenes for the last time tonight.
After 16 years, CNN is pulling the plug on the inside-the-Beltway show created by Robert Novak that has featured a plethora of panelists. The last show will air tomorrow night.
A revised version of the Sunday morning show "On the Story" will replace "Capital Gang" Saturdays at 7 p.m. beginning July 9.
"On the Story," which since its 2003 debut has featured CNN's female correspondents swapping notes on the week's events, will add male reporters. Christiane Amanpour will also join the show as it attempts to broaden its international coverage.
The program will be taped in front of a studio audience on Friday nights at George Washington University and will continue to re-air Sundays at 10 a.m.
While "Capital Gang" never drew huge audiences on Saturday nights, it has seen a steady decline in the past four years, averaging just more than 500,000 viewers this year, a nearly 40 percent drop.
The schedule change is the latest move by new CNN President Jonathan Klein to shake things up at the network, which continues to lag behind Fox News Channel in the ratings. Earlier this month, CNN announced it was replacing the weekday afternoon shows "Inside Politics" and "Crossfire" with a new three-hour afternoon show anchored by Wolf Blitzer called "The Situation Room."
Novak, who had appeared on both "The Capital Gang" and "Crossfire," will be a regular contributor to Blitzer's show.
