Katie co-executive
producer Michael Bass is joining CNN as senior VP of editorial quality,
according to a network insider.
The move reunites Bass with CNN Worldwide president Jeff
Zucker, whom he worked for at NBC's Today
as his top deputy. He went to serve as executive producer of CBS' The Early Show in 2001 before Zucker
hired him back to NBC in 2007 in a strategic role.
Bass had been co-EP of Katie
with Kathy Samuels since its launch last fall, which has seen its fair share of
executive turnover. Zucker himself left the show late last year after gettingthe top job at CNN
and was replaced by Michael Morrison, who joined from The Martha Stewart Show.
Former Good Morning America producer
Ethan Nelson joined as co-EP two months ago.
Disney-ABC's Katie,
the most anticipated of the rookie syndicated talk shows, remains the
highest-rated of the freshman talkers, but NBCUniversal's Steve Harvey has been gaining ground, tying Katie in the women 25-54 demo during the February sweep.
Zucker for his part has been slowly remaking his senior
editorial team since starting at CNN in January. Managing editor Mark Whitaker
left shortly after his arrivaland Jim Murphy, a former GMA
executive producer, was hired to oversee the network's morning programming in
February.
A representative for Katie
declined to comment. A CNN spokesperson did not respond to a request for
comment.
The New York Times
first reported the story.
