HLN (TV channel)

HLN, formerly known as CNN Headline News and CNN2, is a cable television news channel based in the United States and a spinoff of the cable news channel, CNN. Initially airing tightly-formatted 30-minute newscasts around the clock, since 2005, the channel has increasingly aired long-form pop culture news and opinion programming. Since the mid-2000s, HLN has been available internationally on cable and satellite to viewers in Asia and South America.

Launch
Initially broadcast as CNN2 on January 1, 1982, the channel renamed itself one year later to CNN Headline News. The use of "CNN" in the title of the channel has been intermittent throughout the channel's broadcast years.

The channel's programming focused around the idea that a viewer could tune in at any time and, in just 30 minutes, receive the most popular national and international stories, in addition to feature reports.[citation needed] The format, known as the Headline News Wheel, featured "Dollars and Sense" personal finance reports at 15 and 45 minutes past each hour, Headline Sports at 20 and 50 minutes, lifestyle reports at 25 and 55 minutes past each hour, and general news during the top (:00) and bottom (:30) of the hour. The :25/:55 lifestyle segment was designed for purposeful local pre-emption by a local cable provider to air a local headline capsule reported by their associated regional cable news channel or local television station. Another regular feature was the "Hollywood Minute" which was often fitted in after the Headline Sports segment. In the channel's early years, a two-minute recap of the hour's top stories, the CNN Headlines, would run after the sports segment.

Its longest-serving anchor was Chuck Roberts, who retired on July 30, 2010, after a 28-year career with the network.[1] During its first year, Headline News had a competitor in the form of Group W's Satellite News Channel, which lasted from June 21, 1982, until October 27, 1983. SNC's satellite slot was then purchased by Ted Turner to launch Headline News into further additional homes.

Jon Petrovich was hired in the mid-1980s by Turner to lead Headline News.[2] In 1990, Headline News developed Local Edition, a six minute-long local newscast, whose content produced by a local broadcast station in the participating market, airing at the end of each half-hour of Headline News' rolling news block.[3]

Nearly a victim of a hoax
On January 8, 1992, Headline News was almost the victim of a hoax. President Bush had fainted at a state dinner in Tokyo, and a caller claiming to be the president's physician called and claimed that Bush had died. At 9:45 a.m., anchorman Don Harrison prepared to break the story, stating "This just in to CNN Headline News, and we say right off the bat, we have not confirmed this through any other sources..." Another person, off camera, said, "No. Stop."[4] After glancing away momentarily, Harrison continued, "We are now getting a correction. We will not give you that story. It was regarding some rather tragic news involving President Bush, but updating that story, President Bush is reported to be resting comfortably.".[5] The perpetrator turned out to be an Idaho man who was later hospitalized at a private mental facility.[6]

Jukebox effect
In the late 1990s, Headline News pioneered using a digital video jukebox to recycle segments of one newscast seamlessly into another newscast. The new technology led towards the channel needing less staff due to the ability to use segments throughout an entire day (it replaced the former method of having anchors read the same stories repeatedly hour after hour, with the second 15 minutes of each half hour in the wheel being on videotape every third and fourth hour). During this period, the channel laid off part of its staff, including such stalwartanchors as Lyn Vaughn, David Goodnow and Bob Losure, all of whom had been with Headline News for over 10 years.

A new look
Before the September 11, 2001 attacks, the channel became noted for its distinct "screen" starting in August 2001, in which the news anchor (or news footage) appears in a sort of visual "window" surrounded by constantly changing text, such as breaking news, sports scores, stock market reports, and weather updates.

Format changes
Due to the growing competition from the Fox News Channel and MSNBC, Time Warner revamped CNN Headline News in 2003 towards a more flexible format, featuring live reports and two anchors hosting the channel's rolling news coverage.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">The channel's new programs included Showbiz Tonight with A. J. Hammer and Karyn Bryant, a program focusing on the celebrity news of the day; an eponymous legal news and discussion program hosted by Nancy Grace; and a general national news program titled Prime News Tonight hosted by Mike Galanos. This eliminated the main difference between CNN Headline News and CNN during primetime, which had always broadcast a variety of news-related programs, such as documentaries and personality-based shows like Larry King Live.In 2005 the channel dramatically scaled back the amount of on-screen information following much scrutiny and lampooning of the format, such as USA Today calling the screen a "jumbled mess." The new look would consist of a yellow bar, which featured sports scores and stock quotes, in addition to a basic news ticker. The channel also began a shift away from their rolling news coverage throughout primetime to longer, personality-based programs, under the title Headline Prime in February of the same year.

Recent changes
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">Continuing changes on the channel, Headline News introduced a new set in December 2006.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">Programming changes have also taken place, with the introduction of News To Me, a program featuring only user-generated content, in May, a daily broadcast of the previous evening'sLarry King Live, in June, and a shift towards the channel's rolling news coverage being handled by a single anchor, deviating from the channel's traditional dual anchor format since 2003. The Larry King Live re-air has been replaced by a re-air of Showbiz Tonight from the previous evening (that in turn was dropped for an extension of "Morning Express").

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">On March 28, 2011, HLN switched its primary SD feed to a 16:9 letterbox format from 4:3. Both of HLN's standard-definition and high-definition feeds now carry the same 16:9 screen format; however, video footage broadcast in standard-definition on either feed is not pillarboxed (much like it is on parent channel CNN since its SD feed switched from 4:3 to 16:9 in January 2011), leaving black bars on the right and left sides of the screen, as well as on the top and bottom of the screen. HLN Saturday Night Mysteries, which features repurposed versions of sister channel TruTV's crime story programming, will however be broadcast in the 4:3 picture format on the HLN SD feed.On December 15, 2008, in conjunction with CNN's own graphics changes, which resemble the graphics of its sister channel CNN International, Headline News replaced its news ticker with a "flipper" which features an RSS feed of the current headlines on CNN.com.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; ">[7] The same day, the current HLN logo was introduced, initially alongside the channel's full name. Two days later, the "Headline News" name was removed from on-air use, and a new slogan, "News and Views", was introduced. The 'Headline News' name remains in use for on-screen copyright notices.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; ">[8]

CNN Student News
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">CNN Student News is a student news program targeted for the classroom that runs from 4:00 to 4:10am(ET) Monday to Friday as part of the cable industry's Cable in the Classroom inititave, as anchor Carl Azuz reports the day's news in a simplified format (stories with graphic imagery or adult themes are usually left out from this newscast). CNN Student News is also available as a free podcast on the CNN Student News website or on iTunes.

Transmission and reception
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">Due to the channel's tradition of rolling news coverage, HLN has become popular with people who may not have time to watch lengthy news reports, in addition to places where a high demand for "get to the point" news exists, such as airports, bars, and many other places.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">Since its inception, Headline News has been syndicated to network television affiliates in the United States, mainly airing in overnight time periods as stations began to be encouraged to carry a full 24-hour schedule and not go off-the-air. Audio of the channel has also been simulcast on AM radio stations across the country via Westwood One. As of 2007, however, these affiliations are being phased out due to the format changes on the channel.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">The audio feed is also carried on XM Satellite Radio channel 123, and Sirius Satellite Radio channel 133. Until the early 1990s, much of Headline News' output was simulcast on CNN International.

International
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">In the mid-2000s, the channel has been made available to some viewers outside the US, particularly in Asia and Latin America. While the international version's programme line-up is exactly the same as in the US, weather forecasts for Asian and Latin American cities are used as break fillers in lieu of commercials.

High definition
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">HLN HD is a 1080i high definition simulcast of HLN. It is available nationally on Dish Network and AT&T U-verse.

Programming
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">HLN presents a variety of programming, providing rolling news coverage from the early morning through the late afternoon (Eastern Time), followed by subject-oriented programming during primetime hours.

Weekday schedule
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">Note:


 * From 11PM - 6AM, Showbiz Tonight (11PM/2AM/4AM), Dr. Drew (12AM/5AM), The Joy Behar Show (3AM) and Nancy Grace (1AM) are replayed.

Weekend Programming

 * Rolling news is shown during most of the daytime, but the 2nd and succeeding hours are rebroadcasts of the first hour with stories and segments shuffled. Natasha Curry anchors the weekend rolling news coverage from 7AM to 12PM, 1PM to 4PM and 5PM to 6PM. (All times eastern). As of Saturday, April 9, 2011 was branded as Weekend Express with Natasha Curry.
 * On Saturdays and Sundays from 6PM to 7PM eastern, the weekend edition of Prime News with Vinnie Politan is shown.
 * On Saturdays from 7PM to 6AM eastern, Saturday Night Mysteries is shown as of March 5, 2011. Body Of Evidence: From The Case Files Of Dayle Hinman is shown at (7PM/9PM/11PM/1AM/4AM) eastern. The Investigators is shown at (8PM/10PM/12AM/2AM-4AM/5AM) eastern.
 * On Sundays from 7PM to 6AM eastern, repeats of The Joy Behar Show (7PM/10PM/1AM/3AM), Showbiz Tonight (8PM/11PM/2AM/4AM) and Dr. Drew (9PM/12AM/5AM) are shown.
 * The Clark Howard show features Atlanta-based consumer affairs expert Clark Howard who answers viewer questions on personal finance. The program is a mix of the best calls of the week from his WSB (750)/Cox Radio-syndicated radio program and other consumer tips and ripoff alerts offered by Clark Howard. The Clark Howard Show can be seen on HLN Saturdays and Sundays at 6AM, 12PM and 4PM eastern.

Sound logo
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">The channel's sonic logo, tag, audio mnemonic was produced by Musikvergnuegen and written by Walter Werzowa from the Austrian 1980s sampling band Edelweiss.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-jingle_8-0" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; ">[9]

Network slogans

 * Your In 2 with the World (1981–1983)
 * Anytime, All the Time (1983–2000)
 * Bringing You the World for 15 Years, 30 Minutes at a Time (1997; for their 15th anniversary)
 * Get to the Point News/The Get to the Point News Network (2000–2002)
 * Real News, Real Fast (2002–2008)
 * News And Views (2008–present)