Media Decoder Blog: Jake Tapper Leaves ABC News for CNN

Fred Lee/ABC Jake Tapper in November on the set of ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

CNN on Thursday said it had hired Jake Tapper, the senior White House correspondent for ABC News, amid talk of new programming for the cable news channel.

Mr. Tapper, widely seen as one of the most aggressive reporters in the nation’s capital, will anchor an afternoon program for the channel and will be its chief Washington correspondent. The new program will start sometime next year.

Mr. Tapper’s talks with CNN predated the hiring of Jeff Zucker to be president of CNN Worldwide. But Mr. Zucker, who will start at CNN in January, was instrumental in getting the deal done, a spokeswoman for the channel said.

Mr. Tapper alluded to the prospect of working with Mr. Zucker in a statement on Thursday. “With CNN’s impeccable reporting during the elections and the exciting changes in the works for the network, this is a perfect time to join the CNN team,” he said.

CNN did not specify what time slot Mr. Tapper would be given. But the channel is expected to shrink the three-hour “Situation Room” back to two hours, possibly to 5 and 6 p.m. Eastern time, making room for Mr. Tapper’s program at 4 p.m.

Mr. Tapper has worked for CNN once before; he was a co-host of “Take 5,” a weekend panel program on CNN, in 2001.

Mr. Tapper has worked at ABC News since 2003, and has been stationed at the White House full time since the presidential election in 2008. His interest in hosting the network’s Sunday morning public affairs program “This Week” has been an open secret in Washington for some time now. When George Stephanopoulos was renamed the host of the program (after a stint by Christiane Amanpour) in 2012, there was speculation that Mr. Tapper would look elsewhere. Last week, ABC confirmed that Mr. Stephanopoulos would remain the host of “This Week” in the new year.

In a memo about the changes on Thursday, Ben Sherwood, the president of ABC News, praised Mr. Tapper for building “a reputation as one of the most prolific and multitalented journalists on the beat, scoring scoop after scoop.” He said that Jonathan Karl would succeed Mr. Tapper at the White House. Mr. Karl is currently the senior political correspondent for the news division.

Additionally, the foreign affairs reporter Martha Raddatz, who gained attention in the fall for moderating a vice-presidential debate, will have the title of global foreign affairs correspondent. Ms. Raddatz will also be the primary substitute for Mr. Stephanopoulos on “This Week,” replacing Mr. Tapper in that role, ABC said.

Article source: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/jake-tapper-leaves-abc-news-for-cnn/?partner=rss&emc=rss