Leon Harris leaves CNN; moves to WJLA-TV (Local Wash. Station)

[qanda]

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds11707.html

Leon Harris is leaving Atlanta, Georgia-based CNN after twenty years with the network, and will now co-anchor the 5pm, 6pm and 11pm news broadcasts for WJLA-TV, an ABC affiliate station in Washington, D.C.

Harris said:

"Joining WJLA means working with great co-anchors and an excellent, focused news team in the world's news capital. The resources and commitment that WJLA brings to bear on news coverage are simply phenomenal. I couldn't be happier with the opportunity to work and live in the Washington area -- it has such a great sense of identity and community, and it's a wonderful place to raise a family."

(more)

[David Zephyr]

1. Good Grief.

He was one of the precious few cable anchors that I actually liked "getting the news" from.

Here's a link on Leon! http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/harris.leon.html

[qanda]

5. Yes indeed...

I will miss Leon Harris. He's one of the few gems left in the business. Thankfully, I live in the Baltimore area and we get Washington stations, so I guess I'll have to tune in to watch him.

[Cush]

2. yeah

saw the promos lst night during the game

[barbaraann]

3. They made him wish Strom Thurmond a Happy Birthday.

I'll bet he started looking for another job the very next day.

God damn the media whores.

[tjdee]

4. It's a better deal for him, he was underused.

I had to see Jack Cafferty and brainless Soledad and Bill every morning, and Leon Harris was only one when someone was sick.
I prefer he and Daryn Kagan (if I have to be watching CNN, LOL).

He does a passable job, I guess, glad he's going somewhere where they'll actually use him.

[undergroundrailroad]

6. Oh NO! I love Leon Harris!!!

This is a huge loss to CNN.

I can't help but think that something went wrong between CNN and Leon who, as of late, has only been a news reader. He is an extremely talented journalist and I'm sure he hoped for his own show on CNN. I saw him just a few days ago on American Morning and I could tell that Leon was not himself.

I wish him the best of luck.

UGRR

[asjr]

7. Leon

Undoubtedly Leon was the most professional one of the whole bunch. I will miss him. He is no whore.

[Cha]

8. I got that feeling, too, when I used to have news cable and watch..

" He is no whore." That is precisely why he's leaving then!

It must feel awfully weird to work in a "whore" house when you're not one of them.

I wish Leon well and he's fortunate to be leaving, IMO! :-)

[AP]

12. I get a lot of mileage out of this story: CNN reporters are very unhappy

I was at a party over a year ago. A person attending had a best friend who is one of the more famous CNN reporters. This person said the friend described the situation as 'open warfare' between the reporters and one single editor who decides what they can report. The reporter said that this one editor won't even let them read AP wire reports if they don't conform to the editorial agenda of sucking W's flight suit bulge.

[newsguyatl]

9. a true loss for cnn indeed

leon is undoubtedly one of the nicest guys in the business...

cnn's really messed up with this one...

[valphoosier]

10. Could it be possible...

that ABC's going to groom him for a national role?

[dennis4868]

11. I live in Washington, DC so....

CNN's loss is my gain! :-)

[Sticky]

13. When Leon Harris got back from Africa

he was a changed man. He said so.... even made a comment on the air that once you have a life changing experience you can never go back to the way things were. He was referring to the Senegal, South Africa visit.
After he made the remark on CNN I guess I had a little ESP moment. I knew he would get the hell outta there. Nothing like a dose of reality to cut through the every day bullshit.

From CNN web site:
' While in Senegal, Harris paid a visit to Goree Island. Beginning in 1536, the island was used as a collection point for slaves before they were shipped off to points elsewhere.

The Senegalese government has preserved the last building used for slave trading and declared it a symbol of deportation'

http://us.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/index.african.journey.html

[MattNC]

14. i saw

harris on CNN today - did he not leave after all?