Public radio network NPR has officially appointed its former defense correspondent Guy Raz weekend host of afternoon news show "All Things Considered." After serving as guest host on the program for months, Raz will step into his new position officially this weekend.

"The news doesn't end on Friday," Raz said. "It continues through the weekend. We'll cover it, but we're also a place where you'll hear new voices, interesting music and compelling personal stories."

The Saturday and Sunday versions of the one-hour show draw 2.2 million listeners, NPR said.

Raz joined NPR as an intern for "All Things Considered" in 1997. In 2000 he was appointed Berlin bureau chief. He then moved to London to become bureau chief there in 2003.

In 2004, Raz left NPR to work for CNN as the news network's Jerusalem. He returned to NPR in 2006 and worked out of Washington, D.C., most recently serving as defense correspondent.

(Photo by Ron Aira via NPR)