John Avlon, the editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast since 2013, announced Thursday he will leave the digital news site for a full-time gig at CNN as the network’s senior political analyst.
Avlon, who had been a regular on-air contributor since 2010, will now anchor CNN’s morning show. “New Day,” and serve as a substitute anchor when needed across the network’s other programs.
The announcement comes on the same day that Chris Cuomo exited CNN’s “New Day” for a new primetime show set to launch on June 4. “Cuomo Prime Time,” will cut an hour off Anderson Cooper’s show and will offer a direct challenge to Sean Hannity
Since taking over as editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast five years ago from founding editor Tina Brown, Avlon has been widely credited with reviving the publication after her troubled tenure.
“I’ve loved leading The Daily Beast newsroom, but after five years, it’s time for a new challenge. I am looking forward to joining CNN full time and becoming part of such a great independent global news organization,” said Avlon. “This is the best time to be a journalist, and the work CNN does to put ‘facts first’ is more important than ever before. I am thrilled to have this opportunity.”
It’s been a big year for both Avlon and his wife, Margaret Hoover, who revealed earlier this year that she would host a rebooted “Firing Line” on PBS.