CNN - CHETRY JUMPS FNC SHIP; PLUCKED UP BY CNN

Weekend anchor Kiran Chetry, certainly a small fish in Fox News Channel's giant pond, found herself caught in a whirlpool of corporate maneuvering late last week, finally landing on the shores of CNN Friday where she substituted for Anderson Cooper on her first day on the job. It all began when FNC lawyer Dianne Brandi dispatched a letter to Chetry's agent, John Ferriter of the William Morris agency, accusing him, in effect, of unethical conduct during contract negotiations and cutting off further talks, effectively cutting Chetry loose. CNN quickly signed her on and announced great plans for her. CNN/U.S. President Jonathan Klein compared her with Katie Couric, telling the New York Times that, like Couric, Chetry "can be very natural, while also conveying authority." But one unnamed FNC insider told the New York Post: "Let's see what happens. Remember, the last one they took from us was Paula Zahn, and look where she went."

19/02/2007