CNN political director Sam Feist has been named VP of Washington-based programming for the network. He will continue to report to SVP David Bohrman.

"Sam has been a driving force behind the team that led CNN to the most successful ratings year in the network's 28-year history," said Bohrman in the release.

Feist was named political director in August 2006. He has been with the network since 1991.

> Update: FNC's Greta Van Susteren offers her congratulations to Feist, who is her former law school student.

Click continued to see the CNN release...

CNN political director Sam Feist has been named vice president of Washington-based programming, it was announced today by David Bohrman, senior vice president and the network's Washington bureau chief. Feist will continue to report to Bohrman in this role.

"Sam has been a driving force behind the team that led CNN to the most successful ratings year in the network's 28-year history," Bohrman said. "CNN's 2008 election coverage is a great example of where we have been and where we can still go. Sam's enthusiasm for solid, innovative television makes him a natural fit to lead the Washington bureau's programming as we prepare to cover the new administration and Congress."

In this new role, Feist will oversee all programming based out of the Washington bureau, including The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, State of the Union with John King and political specials. In addition to his new responsibilities, Feist will maintain his duties as CNN political director.

As CNN's political director and senior executive producer of political coverage through the 2006 midterm and 2008 presidential elections, Feist oversaw political coverage for "America Votes 2008" and The Situation Room, the weekday program he helped conceptualize and launch. Feist was instrumental in the "America Votes 2006 coverage of the midterm elections that earned the network an Emmy Award.

Feist previously managed the production of Inside Politics and Crossfire. Prior to joining Crossfire, Feist was the founding executive producer of CNN's daily newscast Wolf Blitzer Reports. He also served as the executive producer of CNN's weekend programs Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, The Capital Gang and Evans & Novak. Feist has produced live programs from nations around the world including China, Israel, Russia and the United Kingdom. He has produced interviews with such world leaders as George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev, Al Gore, Yitzhak Rabin and Margaret Thatcher.

Feist joined the network full-time in 1991 and has held a number of positions including associate producer, producer and senior producer.

A magna cum laude graduate of Vanderbilt University, Feist also earned a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, where he graduated cum laude. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Bar of the District of Columbia.