CNN's Parker Spitzer's Tepid Debut

Despite its high-profile anchors, CNN’s Parker Spitzer had a fairly disappointing first night. It drew only 460,000 viewers, lagging far behind it’s competitors The O’Reilly Factor and Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Parker Spitzer features former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer—a Democrat who resigned after admitting his role in a prostitution scandal—and conservative pundit Kathleen Parker in a dual-anchor format. The show lost viewers from its lead-in John King USA, and even had fewer viewers than its predecessor Rick’s List, which was canceled last week after its host, Rick Sanchez, made anti-Semitic comments about comedian Jon Stewart. CNN said they are “pleased with the quality of the show,” and said they expected the show’s viewership to increase “over time."