CNN's Musical Chairs

Banfield to CNN: NYP Page Six Oct. 30

Actually, TVNewser was given the cat to "let out of the bag" in September. Liberal Ashleigh got her ass in a sling at MSNBC after delivering a 2003 commencement speech that was widely seen as a shot at NBC for sleeping with the enemy by embedding reporters with American troops in Iraq, and thus, reporting the Pentagon's glossy spin. Ashleigh claims NBC inflicted enhanced torture tactics in retaliation.  Connecticut Magazine Truth and Consequences

In that same speech Ashleigh took a shot at Fox News: "I'm a journalist and I like to be able to tell the story as I see it, and I hate it when someone tells me I'm one-sided. It's the worst I can hear. Fox has taken so many viewers away from CNN and MSNBC because of their agenda and because of their targeting the market of cable news viewership, that I'm afraid there's not a really big place in cable for news. Cable is for entertainment, as it's turning out, but not news."

Viewers choose which channel to watch; they are not "taken away." 

"I'm hoping that I will have a future in news in cable, but not the way some cable news operators wrap themselves in the American flag and patriotism and go after a certain target demographic, which is very lucrative." 

The same demographic CNN is desperately seeking.  The golden 25-54 demographic sought after by all of cable news and broadcast television.

The Emmy-winning journalist is competing with Keith Olbermann for the longest TV  resume:

From Ashleigh's official website not updated since 2008 before she joined ABC News.

CNN's American Morning time slot talent shuffle includes John Roberts (left for Fox News).  Kiran Chetry (left in July). The slot's had at least four anchor teams in 10 years.  TVNewser

Monday a.m. update:  NYT Brian Stelter fleshes out the American Morning retool.  Sounds like CNN is lifting Fox News The Five ensemble format.