CNN is reformatting “Parker Spitzer” as an ensemble program with Eliot Spitzer — and without Kathleen Parker. Parker’s departure from the program has been rumored for almost as long as the show has been on the air, with periodic reports of conflicts between her and Spitzer. The network said the decision was mutual, but Parker was not considered for a role as the network began considering an overhaul.
Parker writes an op-ed column for The Washington Post that is syndicated nationally and will leave to “focus on her writing,” CNN Executive Vice President Ken Jautz said in a face-saving staff memo released to the media.
“Parker Spitzer” was something of a departure for CNN, which had long resisted the distinctly ideological prime-time programs of its cable news rivals Fox News and MSNBC.