The jury has reached a verdict in the trial of Jodi Arias, and it will be read at 4:30pmET  today.

For HLN, it will be the biggest story since the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial in July 2011. That day delivered the highest ratings in HLN’s history.

Arias has already propelled HLN to strong ratings over the last few months, often topping both sister network CNN and MSNBC, and even occasionally Fox News in some hours. HLN also became a part of the trial, with correspondent Jean Casarez taking the stand to be quizzed about a scene she saw outside the courthouse. Then there is the Twitter account in Jodi Arias’ name, managed by her friend. The account criticized HLN and Nancy Grace for its coverage.

Expect live coverage on the cable news channels, particularly HLN (control room shot from just before the verdict, below) and CNN, which have covered the trial extensively in primetime on both channels. Fox News and MSNBC will also cover the verdict live.

Update: At 4:32, Nancy Grace says that there is “a fly in the ointment,” as things are running two minutes late.

“Justice is a couple of minutes late, six minutes to be exact”– Grace at 4:36.

THE VERDICT: At 4:49pmET, Arias is found guilty of first degree murder.

“There is a verdict, guilty on murder one,” Grace says, tearing up on camera. “What a dichotomy, I can hear in my ear the quietness in the courtroom as the verdict is read and I can hear the cheers of the crowd behind me as the verdict is read.”

This morning starting at 11:30, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on what exactly happened during the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya that resulted in the deaths of four people, including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya.

Fox News and CNN are planning live coverage of the hearings, with CNN bringing in Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, Wolf Blitzer and Arwa Damon to join the coverage. Fox News will have Bret Baier, Congressional correspondent Mike Emanuel, chief Washington correspondent James Rosen and Fox News contributor and Amb. John Bolton contributing.

Interestingly enough, it is quite likely that the Sunday public affairs shows will be part of the story. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice appeared on the network Sunday shows and argued that the attack was spontaneous and not premeditated. That now appears not to be the case, and some State Department officials say they knew that all along.

Elsewhere, The Washington Post profiles CBS News correspondent Sharyl Atkisson as “a persistent voice of media skepticism on Benghazi.”
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CNN has ordered an eight episode docu-series about the city of Chicago, “Chicagoland.”

The series is bring produced by Robert Redford and Laura Michalchyshyn of Sundance Productions, along with Marc Levin and Mark Benjamin of the Sundance Channel series “Brick City,” which was set in the city of Newark, New Jersey and helped give Cory Booker a national profile.

“Chicagoland” will be set in City Hall and in communities across the city. it isn’t clear whether Mayor Rahm Emanuel or his staff will allow themselves to be filmed for the series.

“The vibrant culture and opportunities inherent in this 21st century, world-class city run alongside profound daily challenges,” said Redford in a statement. “Much of it falls on the shoulders of its tough, visionary mayor, his team and people doing heroic work in neighborhoods throughout the city. Chicago has always had a rhythm all its own. It’s a city that wears its heart on its sleeve and I am honored to be a part of telling this story.”

“Chicagoland” will debut on CNN in early 2014.

More information below.
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Believe it or not there was a Congressional race last night. The race–largely inconsequential in terms of affecting legislation–nonetheless became national news, as the Democratic candidate, Elizabeth Colbert Busch, is the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert, while the Republican candidate was disgraced former Governor Mark Sanford.

It was a close race, but Sanford topped Colbert Busch to take the seat.

According to TVEyes CNN projected the race for Sanford at 8:31, MSNBC called it for Sanford citing the AP at 8:35, while Fox News cited the AP right at 9 PM, as “Hannity” began. Update: FNC did note the victory in a ticker text update at 8:39, citing the AP.

“Hannity” didn’t dwell on the race until midway through the show (when Karl Rove appeared to talk about), only saying at the top that Sanford “easily” topped Colbert, adding later on that she might have had a shot if not for her “goofy, liberal” brother. MSNBC announced the news by referring to Sanford as “scandal-plagued,” and that Colbert Busch faced an “uphill climb” against the former Governor.

Anderson Cooper ended up correcting something he said when he first announced Sanford’s win:

“Earlier I said he resigned as Governor after news broke of his extramarital affair,” Cooper said. “I want to correct that, he did serve out his term.”

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Cleveland resident Charles Ramsey, who helped free the three kidnapped girls earlier this week in dramatic fashion, spoke to CNN’s Anderson Cooper on “AC360″ last night. As with his first interview with a local TV station, it was a memorable appearance.

“[Castro was] cool, he was no freak of nature,” Ramsey said. “He was like me and you, because he talked about the same things you talk about.”

WATCH:

Ramsey also appeared via satellite on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” where he chatted with George Stephanopoulos, who attended a rival school to Ramsey’s.

The sleuths at The Atlantic Wire have uncovered a cable news conspiracy of massive proportions. Earlier today Ashleigh Banfield interviewed Nancy Grace about the rescued women in Cleveland. The video certainly appeared as though Banfield and Grace were in different locations–if not different cities entirely–during the conversation.

But all was not as it seemed. As Dashiell Bennett and Philip Bump discovered, Banfield and Grace were talking to one another from the same parking lot in Phoenix, mere feet away from each other. The proof is in the GIF:

The pair are there to cover the verdict in the Jodi Arias trial, which will happen when the jury decides her fate. We can only assume that some sort of obstacle (perhaps a parked car, or a row of shopping carts?) prevented Grace from joining Banfield on the same set.

One thing is certain: we will never view a liveshot the same way again.

First On TVNewser: CNN senior VP of current programming Bart Feder is leaving the cable news channel, TVNewser has learned. His last day at the company will be May 24.

“Bart Feder and I have been in discussions over the last couple of weeks about his role in the company and he has decided that it is time to move on and take his career in a new direction,” CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker wrote in a note to staff this afternoon.

As is the case at most companies, with a new boss comes a new leadership team. Zucker has made a number of personnel changes since taking over earlier this year, both on-air and off-air.

We hear that Feder’s responsibilities will primarily be absorbed by trusted Zucker deputy Michael Bass, who joined CNN last month from syndicated talk show “Katie,” which Zucker helped launch.

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CNN anchor Anderson Cooper was the latest high-profile figure to by the victim of a “SWATting” attack.

His colleague Wolf Blitzer fell victim to the cruel prank last week.

Luckily for Cooper, the prank was called into a weekend home he owns in The Hamptons, and not his New York city apartment. The CNN anchor was not there when it happened, with four different police forces converging on the home.

The New York Post has more:

It was the first time the hoax — in which pranksters create false reports of violence to trigger SWAT-like responses at celebs’ homes — had been pulled off outside Los Angeles.

The Post was incorrect on that point, as Blitzer’s home was in Maryland, not in LA.

Three women, missing for years, and presumed gone forever. A dramatic rescue, with a very–memorable–rescuer.

For TV news bookers, particularly those on the network morning shows, it is a dream come true. The surprising story broke late last night out of Cleveland, as Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were freed, with some help by Charles Ramsey, whose 911 call and interviews spread around the Internet like wildfire.

One morning show source says that “the race is on” to try and book the girls, as well as Ramsey, who may require a seven second delay should he appear in a live interview.

On TV last night, the story played out primarily on CNN, which covered it almost non-stop since it broke in the 8 PM hour. CNN ended up going live until 1 AM covering the story. Fox News first broke in at 9:47 Pm during “Hannity, and continued covering it during the 10 PM hour with “On the Record”, with MSNBC also providing some coverage during “The Last Word,” according to TvEyes.

This morning the story led the morning shows, and is dominating the coverage on cable news.

After the jump, video of an interview with Ramsey conducted by the local ABC affiliate.
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David Reisner is returning to CNN as Senior Producer of New Media. Reisner, (far right showing some wall magic to former TVNewser editor Kevin Allocca in 2009), will be responsible for interactive technology for all New York-based programming. Reisner held a similar role at CNN until departing for ABC in 2010. At ABC, he was the Interactive Media Producer for “Good Morning America.”

CNN has also hired Bill Kirkos as Senior Producer in the Chicago Bureau. Kirkos has been freelancing for CNN and, before that, spent ten years at Fox News Channel, in both the Chicago and Dallas bureaus.