John McEnroe's attempt at hosting a CNBC talk show ended on Thursday, after five painful months. "I'm glad that I did do [the show]. I feel like I gave it my best shot and more, and I felt like we were getting better," he says in the Sun-Sentinel. "It's frustrating. I learned that a lot of what I'm thinking right now I can't repeat on TV."

> Reacting to TVNewser's report about changes to Headline News, Dave Taylor says CNN executives are making a big mistake: "The change has the potential to lose whatever audience was there...Sometimes change is good, but this had dud written all over it."

> Here's an idea: Forget anchoring a CNN Headline News legal show; Just let Nancy Grace replace Paula Zahn at 8pm on CNN! That's one rumor floating by today...

> Lincoln Karim, the Pale Male protester arrested for stalking CNN anchor Paula Zahn's family, was fired from his job as an AP Television engineer the day after. "I was looking for a change in career anyway," Karim says with a shrug to the Washington Post "TV is a despicable medium."

> According to a CNNfn phone recording for viewers, Open House and Dolans Unscripted will air on CNN Saturday mornings beginning in January. (It's on 800-604-9111.)

Did you see Your World with Neil Cavuto today? Neil ran a "lengthy, very amusing Christmas montage today," Johnny Dollar says. "One of the better parts was the Atlanta bureau of FNC saying 'thanks for making us number one in Atlanta' in front of a local landmark..." Happy Holidays, indeed.

"MSNBC is talking to a 'well known' TV personality with hard news credentials to replace Norville and save the network's 9pm timeslot," TVNewser reported exclusively on November 29. It's still true: And the parties involved are coming closer to reaching a deal, a source told TVNewser today. "I think it's going to surprise a lot of people," the source said. "It's going to surprise a lot of Kaplan's critics." No, it's not Ashleigh Banfield, as some folks suggested today. This person has been on cable a lot longer than Banfield...

> Also: TV Week notes that MSNBC's prime lineup has been gaining traction among viewers, and that "much credit for the improved performance is given to Mr. Kaplan for living up to his promises not to tinker with the lineup or the strategy. So observers say he should be taken at his word that something new will be developed for 9 p.m. and that 'Hardball With Chris Matthews,' 'Countdown With Keith Olbermann' and 'Scarborough Country' will remain where they are in the lineup."

>"I'm sure Kaplan went down on one knee and begged her to keep the show going," an MSN'er joked.

> "Frankly, if you look at her lately, she looks beyond exhausted," a TVSpyer says.

> "Another one bites the dust," an e-mailer says. "Maybe they should have a show that has rotating hosts -- that's what MSNBC has had anyway for the past number of years." Bring back InterNight!

> From NewsBlunty: "Norville says that unless someone invents a 'time-stretching machine,' she doesn't see being able to take on a second show again. Note to inventors: I'll pay double whatever Norville's offering to *not* invent a time-stretching machine."

> Deborah Norville spent an hour with Katie Couric on Thursday's edition. It's an interesting transcript...

> What's your reaction to Norville's announcement? Is this her fault, or was it all Erik Sorenson's doing? What should Kaplan do with the 9pm timeslot? E-mail tvnewser@mediabistro.com or use the tip box...

First on TVNewser: Deborah Norville will leave MSNBC in mid-January 2005, Rick Kaplan announced in an internal e-mail at 11:30am today. "As we move into 2005, we'll be saying goodbye to a colleague and friend," Kaplan wrote. "After careful thought, Deborah Norville has informed me that she can no longer continue her super-human balancing act of hosting two daily television programs." Kaplan thanked Deborah for her service over the year, and concluded the e-mail with the following: "We're looking forward to developing new, compelling programming for the 9pm time period."

> FLASHBACK: Nov. 29 on TVNewser: "Deborah Norville's MSNBC disaster premiered on January 21, 2004. By January 21 of 2005, it may be over..."

> Update: 12:08pm: Broadcasting & Cable notes: "MSNBC President Rick Kaplan is searching for a replacement show. This is his first opportunity to develop a new prime time show since he took over the third-place cable news channel last February."

In a message forwarded by MSNBC president Rick Kaplan, Deborah Norville explained to her colleagues why she will be leaving MSNBC in mid-January:

"This decision comes down to one issue: time. With my pre-existing commitments to King World's Inside Edition and to my husband and three children, there simply are not enough hours in my day to do justice to my colleagues at MSNBC and the program we aspire to do.

When MSNBC came to me one year ago, it was an unexpected opportunity to do the longer, more in-depth interviews that television needs more of and a chance to reconnect with former colleagues from my old broadcast home. Those personal connections are firmly cemented, but time constraints prevented me from being able to book guests and research segments to my own high standards. And, unless someone invents a time-stretching machine, that likely won't change.

This past year, I have worked with an incredibly energetic and talented group of professionals and the email feedback we've received shows we have connected with our viewers. Happily, each of my staff will continue their fine work with MSNBC. I have been assured my departure will result in no loss of employment for anyone on 'Deborah Norville TONIGHT.'

I am grateful to Bob Wright, Jeff Zucker, Neal Shapiro, Rick Kaplan and the rest of the NBC Universal family for what has been a fantastic opportunity. Our friendship will continue on, even though our daily television collaboration will not. You may even see me pop up from time to time on this great cable news channel."

Following TVNewser's exclusive report on the new primetime schedule for CNN Headline News, network representatives have been tight-lipped, and declined a request to confirm the details. CNN is expected to officially announce the details in mid-January, at the January TV press tour. But why wait until then? Here's another nugget: It's all but guaranteed that Court TV anchor and talk radio host Nancy Grace will lead the 7pm legal show, beginning early next year.

Industry watchers have speculated that a daily show on Headline News would help prepare Grace to possibly replace Larry King on CNN one day. (Does she have big enough feet to fill Larry's shoes though?)

I've heard from several CNNers who say the buzz is "very strong" that Grace will host the show. The most conclusive proof comes straight from Grace: On her local daily one-hour radio show (KNEW-AM, San Francisco), Nancy told listeners she would be starting a call-in talk show on CNN in late January, according to an e-mailer (thanks Ira).

Grace's updated contract with Court TV, signed in October, included a "unique relationship" with CNN to allow for "cross-promotion as well as expansion of Grace's already loyal fan base," a press release said at the time...

> The final edition of McEnroe aired on CNBC Thursday night.

> The Wolf Blitzer/Paula Zahn/office worker commercial, criticized by some corners, is brilliant, Terry Heaton says. "It's a great ad for CNN.com, because it just tells the truth -- you can get news faster on the Web than you can on-the-air. Fascinating." Here's the ad...

> Thursday's "Today Show" included footage of D.C. bureau chief Tim Russert as guest conductor of the Boston Pops. "Boy can he wave his arms!," a viewer quipped...

> Press release headline: "GE Foundation Establishes 'Greatest Generation' Scholarships for New York City Public School Students in honor of NBC News' Tom Brokaw."

A "frequent traveler" e-mailed in several observations about CNN's networks in between business trips this week:

"I travel about 3 times a week for work and I watch more evening airport news than anyone I know," he wrote a few days ago. "The beauty of Headline News is that I can get my news in 15-30 minute chunks between flights at the airport. Sometimes it's the only news I get to see for a week at a time. There is absolutely no way I will watch actual news programming at the airport. Those people in Atlanta drove CNN, head first, into the ground. Must they do the same to CNN Headline News?"

Thursday's story about broadcasting HLN in Latin America also sparked an e-mail. "Rolando Santos in a press release [said] that Headline News is now in Latin America, where CNN en Espanol is widely distributed. It's a joke. Widely distributed? Hardly. I travel there. CNN en Espanol has the very same very low distribution that CNNfn had. Nobody watches it except for an occasional American tourist in a lower end hotel. It has absolutely no impact in that part of the world. It not even recognized as a network in Latin America. Homes in those regions don't even carry it. I am learning from your site that CNN is really all about smoke and mirrors, baby, smoke and mirrors."