HLN

With much of the focus this week on CNN's October ratings, there's one executive who doesn't have any explaining to do.

TVNewser spoke with EVP of CNN Worldwide and head of HLN, Ken Jautz, for a different perspective on the recent success of his network and the pessimism about his colleagues' ratings at CNN.

According to Jautz, from a business perspective, things are not quite as dire at CNN as ratings-watchers make them out be. "We have two fully distributed networks, and we have programmed these networks to aim at different audiences," he said. "Of course, over time, there's going to be phases where one asset on one platform does better than another on another platform." He pointed to the election season last year, when CNN was particularly strong and HLN wasn't hitting the pace it is now. "There'll always be different phases."

He also argues that "fusion data" shows CNN has big numbers across its platforms (HLN, CNN, CNN.com), "and what we sell is across platforms," he told us.

"HLN right now, as a network, is showing across the board strength," Jautz says. In October, "Morning Express with Robin Meade" beat CNN and MSNBC in the A25-54 demo and, as a whole, the network was second only to Fox News in that demo in total day. But it's at night where HLN has been getting noticed, "The evening lineup is just starting to hit a stride and, bit by bit, we're getting increased audience flow from one show to another."

CNN has seen a drop in viewership since the election, while HLN hasn't seen that kind of a decline. Part of that is due to the formula HLN's adopted. "The whole network is based on the personalities and not simply on events," said Jautz who compares his talent to op-ed columnists. "The audience is interested in coming to 'the column' or to the host on days when there's big news and on days where there's less news."

Whether the rise of personality-driven programming is good or bad for the future of broadcast journalism, it's working well right now for that other CNN network.

Peter Max artwork based on the book jacket

Velez-Mitchell is the third HLN host to publish a book in the last few months, with Nancy Grace and Robin Meade also releasing books recently. TVNewser asked CNN Worldwide EVP Ken Jautz, who heads HLN, why his employees have been writing so much "It's hosts who have an ability to communicate with audiences," he said. "I think they see the opportunity to do so on another platform, employ the skills they're proving so successful at on television on another platform, and we're happy to support that."

Also in attendance: HLN VP of programming Bill Galvin, "Issues" EP Stephanie Todd and Senior Producer Jennifer Williams, "Showbiz Tonight" host AJ Hammer, and Senior EP of CNN Entertainment and "Showbiz Tonight" David Levine. "Nancy Grace" Senior EP Dean Sicoli made a brief appearance to congratulate Velez-Mitchell, whose career he'd been instrumental in launching by featuring her as a guest host on "Nancy Grace," before hustling back to the studio for Grace's broadcast.

CNN anchors John Roberts and Kyra Phillips were also there (together) and CNN's Gerri Willis and Jeanne Moos stopped by.

Velez-Mitchell took some time to talk with TVNewser about why she decided to write the memoir (apologies for the crowd noise):

Tonight on HLN's "The Joy Behar Show," Behar will have the exclusive television interview with former David Letterman writer-turned Sabrina author, Nell Scovell regarding the online article she has penned for Vanity Fair about the "hostile, sexually charged atmosphere" she experienced as the only woman writer at Letterman's show in the late '80s.

HLN's Joy Behar had her highest ratings in the adult 25-54 demographic Tuesday evening since her show's debut on September 29. With 268,000 demo viewers, Behar topped both Larry King on CNN (205K) and Rachel Maddow on MSNBC (231K). Her 628,000 Total Viewers also topped King, which had 616K. Maddow had 876K Total Viewers. The program, which featured a panel of divorced women including Marla Maples, Dina Matos, and Mary Jo Eustace, was Behar's first single-topic show.

B&C's Claire Atkinson writes about the growth of HLN, in viewers and advertisers, as the channel shows it is "a growing entrant in the opinion journalism field."

The service which airs breaking news during the day and opinion and debate shows in primetime is averaging 571,000 viewers, up from 461,000 through October last year. And in the demo, HLN averages 221,000 up from 178,000.

HLN now has 100 million subscribers, up from 98.3 million last year.

Don Seaman, of media agency MPG tells Atkinson advertisers like the frequency of tune-in offered by news channels that tend toward the "bombastic." HLN's primetime lineup of Nancy Grace, Joy Behar and Jane Velez Mitchell are delivering bombast and viewership. HLN's primetime (8-11pmET) regularly beats CNN in the A25-54 demo and occasionally tops MSNBC coming in a distant second to Fox News. And even in Total Day viewership, HLN is giving CNN and MSNBC a run. Last week, the network averaged 163K A25-54 viewers to CNN's 162,800 and MSNBC's 131,600.

"It's the same people that go to Fox News and watch it all the time, and MSNBC is getting into that," says Seaman. "When you take that into consideration, you're getting a lot of frequency."

HLN "Issues" host Jane Velez-Mitchell sits down with new host Joy Behar to discuss her experience sobering up and coming out as a lesbian. Video after the jump.

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In her first week on the air Joy Behar is averaging 177,000 A25-54 viewers, down 6% from the re-air of "Issues with Jane Velez Mitchell" that it replaced. "Issues" averaged 188,000 demo viewers in Sept.

In the demo, Behar trailed FNC's Hannity by 72% (635,000); CNN's Larry King by 34% (268,000) and MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show by 27% (242,000). Last night, Behar increased the year-to-date average of the 9pm hour by 7% (177,000).

In Total Viewers, Behar is averaging 523,000, up 1% from Velez Mitchell's September average.

B&C reports Nancy Grace is in talks to "become the next Judge Judy." CBS Television Distribution has signed a development deal with the HLN host to produce a daily, 30-minute program "that will be a new take on the court show."

B&C reports Grace shot a "presentation" last week of the show tentatively titled "Swift Justice With Nancy Grace." The hope is local stations will buy it for a fall 2010 debut.

Grace will continue to host her HLN show. Insiders tell TVNewser HLN execs see the possible strip as an advantage for them, just as Joy Behar is seen on "The View" during the day, giving her HLN show more exposure at night.

Ask Joy Behar how she got her new HLN gig, and she gives a simple answer. "They asked me to dance," Behar jokes with TVNewser, "and I said, 'Okay, I'll dance with you guys!'"

Her boss, CNN Worldwide EVP Ken Jautz, is a little more specific. "She has a strong point of view, she's an excellent conversationalist," he says. "She's a genuine star."

The Joy Behar Show debuts tomorrow at 9pmET, part of a primetime lineup dominated by women hosts (think Nancy Grace and Jane Velez-Mitchell) who provide HLN with what Jautz calls "point-of-view programming."

Opinion, Jautz says, positions the 27 year-old HLN as "something different from CNN" in order to attract "different audience niches." He's confident that HLN's ratings growth — its average of 597,000 prime time viewers this year has more than tripled since 2004, a boost greater than "we had dared hope for", says Jautz — has not drawn viewers away from its sister cabler. Jautz cites internal research showing "little overlap" among those who watch the two networks.

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Robin Meade's new book, Morning Sunshine!: How to Radiate Confidence and Feel it Too, debuts at #12 on the "Advice, How-To, and Miscellaneous" section of the New York Times Best Seller list.

"I have dreamed about this from the moment I started writing this book," Meade tells TVNewser, "but I am still beyond surprised. My modesty went out the window for a couple of minutes when I found out the book had hit the New York Times list, as I called friends screaming it into their ears! The viewers, readers, and network support made it happen, and I'm incredibly grateful."

Meade follows in the footsteps of HLN colleague Nancy Grace, whose The Eleventh Victim made The New York Times Best Seller list in August. HLN host Jane Velez-Mitchell's book iWant: My Journey from Addiction and Overconsumption to a Simpler, Honest Life is set for release on October 5.

• Earlier: The TVNewser interview with Robin Meade: "I Am The Author Of My Own Life."

• Earlier: Robin Meade's Atlanta Book Party