> Associated Press: "When he moves into his new New York office next month, Klein will become the eighth executive to hold one of the top two slots at CNN since Fox News began in 1996. During that time, Roger Ailes has remained as Fox's unquestioned boss." "We wish CNN well on their annual executive shuffle," Fox spokesman Robert Zimmerman said...

> Broadcasting & Cable: "For the second time in around one year, CNN has reached outside for a new president...Walton insists that the shuffle shouldn't be read as a sign of trouble."

> Lost Remote: "We'll see how Klein's entrepreneurial bent will help give CNN a much-needed boost."

The word of the day is story. More specifically, story-telling. New CNN/U.S. prez Jonathan Klein hopes to improve the way CNN tells stories -- and he stressed the point over and over again during a conference call with reporters. He discussed "translating the passions" of his new colleagues into compelling stories. Highlights:

> "We're going...to tell stories in a way that really connects with the American viewing audience."

> "The mission is to make sure that the range of stories that we're covering, and the approach that we take to covering them, especially in prime time, resonates with that audience."

> "There's a lot of ways to do a story, and we're going to use all [of them]."

> Klein: "Interesting, arresting, provocative, engaging. Those are all words that I hope can be associated with CNN in the months and the years ahead."

> Klein called the "obsession" over Laci Peterson a great example of "group-think," and described "substance abuse:" "That is, a lack of substance that abuses viewers." "You can way overdue the light, sensational stuff," he said, but added that the network could still offer a bit of "dessert."

> Walton: "No, we're not talking to Dan Rather."

> Klein, asked when we can expect major changes on-air: "There's no timetable. I need to get my feet wet. I need to know what's in the cupboard, what ingredients we have to work with."

> Klein: "I've been given an awful long leash, and an awful long time to make sure whatever we do is the right direction to go in."

> Walton prefaced his comments about changes with "if, if, if."

> Klein: "This is a perfect time to be in the business of informing people about the world around them."

> Walton said Klein will immediately focus his attention on primetime.

> Walton talked about earning a "larger share of the news viewing audience."

> Walton: "We're currently forecasting, from a financial standpoint, to have the best year in CNN's history."

> Walton said he anticipated the question about whether CNN was moving to NYC: "Emphatically no."

CNN spokesman Matt Furman comments to Reuters on Princell Hair's new role (demotion??): "The decision today is not about something going wrong. Princell has had many successes, not the least of which was the integration of news gathering and production. But our priority is now on the strategic and editorial direction of the network. Jon is better suited to provide the big picture and creative leadership of the network.''

> Update: The CNN press conference with Klein will now be held at 2:30pm...

> Sarcasm: "Smart move sending CNN control to NY from Atlanta... Definitely the way the country is moving ideologically."

> One TVSpyer puts it this way: "Princell Hair era OVER." "CNNers, you have no idea how much crap you're about to endure," another person wrote.

> "Mr. Klein may be in for a bit of culture-shock at CNN," another e-mailer says. "The only people who know how to run a cable network are people who have spent a lot of time at cable networks. Rick Kaplan learned that the hard way at CNN. Notice that Kaplan's not making the same mistakes at MSNBC. He's taking it slowly and deliberately. As should Jon Klein."

> From a tipster: "After the most recent annual exec. shuffle at CNN, I can't help but think if I were an on-air anchor/reporter at CNN, especially in Atlanta, I'd run for The Hills, ie. New Jersey and MSNBC."

> E-mail your reactions to the management shuffle to tvnewser@mediabistro.com, or use the anonymous tip box.

> Associated Press: "CNN has a new boss for the second time in 14 months: former CBS News executive Jonathan Klein, who will oversee programming and editorial direction at the second-ranked cable news network."

> Reuters: "CNN News Group on Monday said it has tapped an online media CEO as its new president overseeing U.S. news, just a little over a year after it hired a former local TV newsman to run its domestic operations."

> TV Week: "CNN is shuffling executives again...[Klein] will be based in New York, a dramatic departure for the Atlanta-based news network."

"Online media entrepreneur and news executive" Jonathan Klein is taking over Princell Hair's job as president of CNN/U.S, the network announced today.

"In his new position, Klein will oversee CNN's domestic news network, creating programming and shaping the editorial tone and direction of CNN/U.S.," the press release says. Hair is "assuming a new role as senior vice president of program and talent development, working across the entire CNN News Group portfolio of television networks and businesses." (THAT will get folks buzzing!)

"Jon is among the next generation of news-industry leaders who are focused on the future of our business and getting there first," Jim Walton said in the statement. "At CBS, he re-energized the newsmagazine genre and explored network reality programming years ahead of the pack. With The FeedRoom, he developed a model for broadband content delivery that has both journalistic integrity and economic viability. He's both a consummate journalist and proven innovator for whom an organization with the visibility and resources of CNN is the ultimate creative and leadership assignment.  I am delighted he has chosen CNN as the place to make his next professional mark and look forward to working with him to make CNN/U.S. an even more vital source of news and information."

Broadcasting & Cable breaks the news:

> "Word has it that This Week with George Stephanopoulos executive producer Tom Bettag will return to Nightline as executive producer, at least for the time being."

> "Richard Harris, a senior producer at This Week, is expected to take over the reins of that show from Bettag."

> "Bettag ran Nightline before moving over to helm the Sunday morning This Week program."

For a moment last week, Kevin Sites considered destroying his videotape of a Marine shooting and killing a wounded Iraqi.

"I have become the conflicted conduit who has brought this to the world," he writes in an "open letter" to the "Devil Dogs of the 3.1" on his personal blog. The freelance correspondent for NBC News describes what happened that day in Fallujah in a frightening, inspiring and raw letter -- a rarity for journalists.

"As you know, I'm not some war zone tourist with a camera who doesn't understand that ugly things happen in combat," he writes, stressing that he's never been a 'gotcha' reporter. "This week I've even been shocked to see myself painted as some kind of anti-war activist."

Sites says he showed the tape to Marine commanders, and "offered to hold the tape until they had time to look into incident and begin an investigation -- providing me with information that would fill in some of the blanks." A must-read...

USA Today wonders: "Will Fox News' success force competitors to take sides?" Peter Johnson seems to conclude the answer is no.

MSNBC's Phil Griffin has the best quote: "[Right now], there are a whole lot of people who don't watch cable news. Over the next four to 10 years, [cable's] pool is going to steadily increase as the networks get out of doing as much news as they do. Doing news best is going to win. In the simple world now everyone says, 'Fox did it.' And yes, they were creative and smart, but now it's, 'Who is going to break out and do the next best thing?' It's shortsighted if we look at the audience right now, because things are going to change dramatically."

Johnson also includes this tease: "[CNN's Jim] Walton says executives are mulling over some changes in CNN's flagging prime time, but he wouldn't elaborate."

Hardball associate web producer Sarah Muller wonders if embedding is appropriate for news organizations in a Friday afternoon Hardblogger post. "An embedded reporter inevitably puts their lives and journalistic objectivity on the line," she writes. "I want all points-of-view to frame a story -- not just what 'our' troops do or 'our' government allows us to report -- a clear limitation as an embed, not by fault of their own. Perhaps, only then can we achieve a more inclusive perspective. Until the networks find a better solution to obtain the best and most accurate information, it might not be worth the trouble -- or danger."