CNN is doubling down on combining comedy and news with the launch of a new companion podcast to “Have I Got News For You,” TheWrap has learned on Thursday.
The new podcast, aptly dubbed “Have I Got News For Your Ears,” will be hosted by comedian Michael Ian Black, one of the stars of the comedic quiz show that airs on CNN on Saturday nights. (Black’s co-stars on the TV show are Amber Ruffin and Roy Wood Jr.)
“Have I Got News For Your Ears” will debut on Thursday and the following episodes will release each Wednesday. The podcast, similar to the TV program, aims to offer a “smart and edgy take on the news,” according to CNN.
Black is joined by the show’s creator and executive producer Jimmy Mulville on the first episode. As the season goes on, he will be joined by a rotating collection of guests, who Black will test on their knowledge of the current zeitgeist and prod for some behind-the-scenes dirt on the TV show.
The podcast is produced by Hat Trick Productions for CNN Podcasts; Mulville is joined by Jim Biederman and Richard Wilson as EPs on both shows. “Have I Got News For Your Ears” will be available on Spotify, YouTube and the @HIGNFYUS account on YouTube.
CNN’s latest podcast comes as the news channel has been looking beyond TV to attract viewers and listeners. The channel has a number of other podcasts, including “All There Is with Anderson Cooper” and “The Assignment with Audie Cornish,” and its YouTube viewership has jumped 42% this year compared to the same point in 2024.
The launch of “Have I Got News For Your Ears” comes after the TV show was recently renewed for a third season, which is set to premiere on Saturday, Sep. 6 at 9 p.m. ET.
“Have I Got News for You” has been a key cog in CNN’s revamped, more comedy-focused Saturday night programming since it debuted in September 2024. The show follows “Real Time With Bill Maher,” which airs at 8 p.m. ET on Saturdays, a night after it runs on HBO. That combo appears to have been working for CNN, with its Saturday night viewership up more than 40% year-over-year as of May.
“CNN audiences have shown a resounding interest in our topical entertainment programming on Saturday nights,” said Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent, CNN Originals and creative development for CNN Worldwide. “This podcast is an opportunity to expand the ways in which audiences engage with the ‘Have I Got News For You’ brand across platforms, with all the bite and hilarity they’ve come to expect from the show.”
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