Parker Spitzer
Encyclopedia
In the Arena was a one-hour show on CNN
that premiered October 4, 2010 as Parker Spitzer and was hosted by former New York Democratic
governor Eliot Spitzer
and Pulitzer Prize
-winning political columnist Kathleen Parker
. It was broadcast weeknights in prime time at 8 p.m. ET
, replacing Campbell Brown in the same time slot. The show received consistently low ratings and there were reports of backstage fighting between Spitzer and Parker. On February 25, 2011, CNN announced that Parker had parted ways with the show to continue her work on her syndicated column but would continue to contribute to CNN. Spitzer remained on the show and the title was changed to In the Arena effective February 28. The show was canceled by CNN on July 6, 2011. The cancellation was effective August 8, 2011, when CNN went on to broadcast its flagship nightly news program AC360, anchored by Anderson Cooper
, live at 8 pm and re-air it in its current time slot of 10 pm.
, newly-appointed CNN President Ken Jautz
said the network was relying heavily on Parker Spitzer and on Piers Morgan
replacing Larry King Live
to raise ratings with "livelier and more engaging" programming. When asked what kind of ratings improvement he would consider a success, Jautz simply replied, "Higher." On the show's main news blog
, it states that it has the goal of facilitating a "dynamic exchange of opinions, ideas and analyses... on the most important, compelling and amusing stories of the day".
Spitzer has remarked, "We'll talk about movies sometimes, sports, we'll have everything under the sun, but we are clearly a political show." A recurring segment in the program is a challenge to legislators called "Name Your Cuts", about the U.S. national debt.
. Spitzer remarked in response,
Parker Spitzer arguably has not helped CNN's prime time since, leaving the network with its worst prime-time ratings in 10 years. On December 7, The New York Times stated that "at the two-month mark, the ratings for CNN’s latest experiment are stagnant." Parker has described the show's relationship to viewers as "absolutely a work in progress".
Critical reaction has largely been negative. After the show's debut episode, The Huffington Post
summarized that "[b]y and large, television critics from around the country were scathing in their assessment". Reviewers such as those from The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times have criticized the show for being one-sided, with Spitzer dominating over the more demure and meekly spoken Parker. Critics such as James Poniewozik writing for Time have panned the sometimes flirty
nature of the back-and-forth between Parker and Spitzer.
When Washington Examiner
columnist Richard Viguerie
appeared on the show, he accused it of having a left-of-center bias, saying to Parker:
In response, Parker has said, "No matter how great we are or how good a job we do, critics are going to be critics".
During a stretch in which Spitzer hosted the show solo and Parker took a leave of absence because of a lung infection, ratings doubled without Parker compared to episodes with her.
", which will also continue in a rerun in its current slot; no new show will replace it. The reason for the change in the evening lineup was to showcase anchors who were "experienced reporters in covering stories that span the globe," as stated by CNN's executive vice president.
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
that premiered October 4, 2010 as Parker Spitzer and was hosted by former New York Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
governor Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
and Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning political columnist Kathleen Parker
Kathleen Parker
Kathleen Parker is an American syndicated columnist. Her columns are syndicated nationally by The Washington Post. Parker is a consulting faculty member at the Buckley School of Public Speaking, and is a regular guest on television shows like The O'Reilly Factor and The Chris Matthews Show....
. It was broadcast weeknights in prime time at 8 p.m. ET
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
, replacing Campbell Brown in the same time slot. The show received consistently low ratings and there were reports of backstage fighting between Spitzer and Parker. On February 25, 2011, CNN announced that Parker had parted ways with the show to continue her work on her syndicated column but would continue to contribute to CNN. Spitzer remained on the show and the title was changed to In the Arena effective February 28. The show was canceled by CNN on July 6, 2011. The cancellation was effective August 8, 2011, when CNN went on to broadcast its flagship nightly news program AC360, anchored by Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Hays Cooper is an American journalist, author, and television personality. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking news stories...
, live at 8 pm and re-air it in its current time slot of 10 pm.
Format and topics
In an interview published by The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
, newly-appointed CNN President Ken Jautz
Ken Jautz
Ken Jautz is the newly appointed president of US operations of CNN. He was appointed on September 24, 2010 replacing Jonathan Klein.Jautz received his B.S. from Cornell University and a M.S. from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He was a correspondent for the Associated Press...
said the network was relying heavily on Parker Spitzer and on Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children....
replacing Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
to raise ratings with "livelier and more engaging" programming. When asked what kind of ratings improvement he would consider a success, Jautz simply replied, "Higher." On the show's main news blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, it states that it has the goal of facilitating a "dynamic exchange of opinions, ideas and analyses... on the most important, compelling and amusing stories of the day".
Spitzer has remarked, "We'll talk about movies sometimes, sports, we'll have everything under the sun, but we are clearly a political show." A recurring segment in the program is a challenge to legislators called "Name Your Cuts", about the U.S. national debt.
Ratings and reviews
The show premiered to poor ratings, finishing fourth place among cable news programs in its time slot. Among people from ages to 25 to 54, the show garnered 118,000 viewers compared to 722,000 for The O'Reilly FactorThe O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor, originally titled The O'Reilly Report from 1996 to 1998 and often called The Factor, is an American talk show on the Fox News Channel hosted by commentator Bill O'Reilly, who often discusses current controversial political issues with guests.The program was the most watched...
. Spitzer remarked in response,
Parker Spitzer arguably has not helped CNN's prime time since, leaving the network with its worst prime-time ratings in 10 years. On December 7, The New York Times stated that "at the two-month mark, the ratings for CNN’s latest experiment are stagnant." Parker has described the show's relationship to viewers as "absolutely a work in progress".
Critical reaction has largely been negative. After the show's debut episode, The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
summarized that "[b]y and large, television critics from around the country were scathing in their assessment". Reviewers such as those from The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times have criticized the show for being one-sided, with Spitzer dominating over the more demure and meekly spoken Parker. Critics such as James Poniewozik writing for Time have panned the sometimes flirty
Flirting
Flirting is a playful, romantic, or sexual overture by one person to another subtly indicating an interest in a deeper relationship with the other person, and can involve verbal communication as well as body language...
nature of the back-and-forth between Parker and Spitzer.
When Washington Examiner
Washington Examiner
The Washington Examiner is a free daily newspaper published in Springfield, Virginia, and distributed in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It is owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz....
columnist Richard Viguerie
Richard Viguerie
Richard Art Viguerie is a conservative figure, pioneer of political direct mail and writer on American politics...
appeared on the show, he accused it of having a left-of-center bias, saying to Parker:
In response, Parker has said, "No matter how great we are or how good a job we do, critics are going to be critics".
During a stretch in which Spitzer hosted the show solo and Parker took a leave of absence because of a lung infection, ratings doubled without Parker compared to episodes with her.
Backstage tensions
The show has been dogged by reports of backstage tensions between Spitzer and Parker. The Page Six gossip column in The New York Post stated in early November that Parker had stormed off the set. When asked about the reports, Parker said, "I don’t storm. I saunter."Parker's departure
On Friday, February 25, 2011, CNN announced that Parker would depart from Parker Spitzer, with Spitzer continuing to host the program, under the new name In the Arena, effective Monday, February 28, 2011. Parker's last words, “On a personal note, today is my last day on the show, and I just want to thank you, the viewers, for tuning in. I look forward to seeing you down the road."Cancellation of the show
On July 6, 2011, CNN announced the cancellation of In the Arena. The same time slot would be filled by Anderson Cooper's show "Anderson Cooper 360°Anderson Cooper 360°
Anderson Cooper 360° is a one-hour television news show on CNN, hosted by the American journalist Anderson Cooper. It is also broadcast around the world on CNN International....
", which will also continue in a rerun in its current slot; no new show will replace it. The reason for the change in the evening lineup was to showcase anchors who were "experienced reporters in covering stories that span the globe," as stated by CNN's executive vice president.