The answer: hockey and Jodi Arias.

CNBC had an NHL Stanley Cup playoff game between the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers, which peaked with over 2 million viewers at 9 PM, and over 1 million adults 25-54. HLN had more on the Jodi Arias trial, with the jury unable to come to a decision on her sentencing. HLN peaked before prime at 7 PM with Jane Velez-Mitchell, who drew over 2 million viewers, but still averaged more than a million viewers during the 8 and 9 PM hours. It was reaonably strong all day in the demo.

In total viewers Fox News still placed first in primetime, followed by CNBC, HLN, MSNBC and CNN. The full scoreboard, which does not include CNBC, can be viewed here.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin. HLN plans to present continuous coverage of the trial proceedings, which begin June 10. “After Dark,” which is getting a permanent place in the primetime lineup, will also be devoted to the Zimmerman trial beginning in June. The network has also slated a preview special, “Zimmerman Police Tapes,” for Memorial Day.

In other programming changes: HLN will premiere “Secret Lives with Jane Velez-Mitchell,” a weekly program devoted to the scandals of public figures like Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods, in July. Velez-Mitchell will host a preview of the new show on May 30 at 7pmET.

The network will also devote the first week in June to “America Behind Bars,” featuring reports about people who are in jail. Nancy Grace will host a two-night special on June 5 and 6 devoted to the Estrella women’s jail in Phoenix, where Arias has been incarcerated.

More from HLN after the jump. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Among the changes: “HLN After Dark” will become a full-time member of HLN’s nightly lineup, where it will focus “on stories (trials and otherwise) in the ‘court of public opinion,’” according to Safon’s note.  The channel is also gearing up for its next big trial, that of George Zimmerman, which begins June 10th, and the Daytime Emmy Awards on June 16th. There are also Nancy Grace, Dr. Drew Pinsky and Jane Velez-Mitchell specials in the works.

Read Safon’s full note to HLN staff, below.
continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The ratings for Q1, 2013 (Nielsen Live + Same Day data):

• Primetime (Mon-Sun): 435,000 Total Viewers / 155,000 A25-54
• Total Day (Mon-Sun): 308,000 Total Viewers / 118,000 A25-54

Compared to Q1 2012, HLN is up +17% in Total Day and +12% in primetime in total viewers. The network is up +23% and +32% in the A25-54 demo in total day and prime, respectively (Note: percentages are based on a blend of Nielsen Live + 7 and Live + 3 data).

The biggest gains are in the afternoon hours, where HLN is up over +100% in total and demo viewers from 3-6PM ET. 4PM’s “Making It In America,” for example, is up +136% in total viewers and +128% in the demo compared to Q1 2012.

While 8PM’s “Nancy Grace” is still the channel’s most popular show, she actually saw less growth than the other primetime hours, up +5% in total viewers and up +18% in the demo. At 7 PM Jane Velez-Mitchell was up +39% in total viewers and +50% in the demo, while at 9 PM “Dr Drew,” “What Would You Do?” and “Mysteries” combined to be up +33% and +61% in total day and prime respectively. At 10 PM “Nancy Grace, ” “What Would You Do,” “Mysteries” and “HLN After Dark” combined to be up +33% and +49% in total day and prime.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The once-dominant morning program is settling in to second place, as new top producers, on-air talent and show segments meld in the hopes of catching on with viewers and regaining the top spot. Meanwhile, star anchor Matt Lauer continues to find himself in the unenviable position of taking the licks — and the responsibility — for the show’s woes.

But last night, Lauer didn’t want to dwell on the downside. Instead it was a night to celebrate with his co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, and hundreds of other media luminaries, at the 18th annual National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association Headlines and Headliners benefit. “Today” national correspondent and news anchor Natlie Morales was the host for the evening which raised more than $75,000 for scholarships and program activities.

Morales delivered a few zingers during her speech, including giving a new name to HLN — “the hysterical ladies network.”

HLN anchor Jane Velez-Mitchell, who hosted this event last year, missed the joke as she was still taping her show. But she took it in stride when we told it to her later. They may be hysterical, but HLN ratings of late, thanks to coverage of the Jodi Arias trial, are nothing to laugh at.

We chatted with ABC’s Amy Robach, whose star has risen at “Good Morning America” since leaving NBC News last year. Robach and husband Andrew Shue are leaving today for a Caribbean vacation. Gayle King represented for “CBS This Morning,” while CNN’s Christine Romans, John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin chatted with guests. We caught up with MSNBC’s Alex Witt, FNC’s Rick Reichmuth and CNBC’s Mandy Drury, who’s heading home to Australia next week to catch up with family. On the local news scene, WABC’s Lori Stokes and WNBC’s Contessa Brewer worked the room. And we couldn’t pass up the chance to talk with The Weather Channel’s Bryan Norcross, the father of the named Winter storms. “Everything needs a hashtag now,” says the longtime meteorologist. “What better way than to name the storms?” Of course, an unending Winter helps. Did you hear Winter Storm Virgil is on the way this weekend?

(l-r) “Today” show publicist Megan Kopf Stackhouse, Andrew Shue, CNN’s Javier Morgado, NBC’s Natalie Morales, ABC’s Amy Robach

More photos after the jump…

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The program launch comes on the heels of Turner Broadcasting’s TruTV scaling In Session coverage back to two hours a day, a move which has sparked criticism in the middle of the Arias trial. HLN anchor Vinnie Politan will anchor the show and In Session on TruTV correspondents Jean Casarez and Beth Karas will contribute.

Politan will be joined by HLN’s Nancy Grace, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Ryan Smith and Drew Pinsky, who will weigh the accusations and evidence of the day. The 12-person audience will act as “jurors” and will render a verdict each night.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The coverage is paying off in the ratings, particularly in the afternoon and early evening.

While the primetime shows, led by Jane Velez-Mitchell and Nancy Grace, are doing very well covering the trial, the biggest surprise may be 4 PM’s “Making It In America,” which has been routinely topping its primetime counterparts in total viewers, and coming close to beating them in the demo. Vinnie Politan is the anchor of “making It.”

Over the last week, “Making It In America” has averaged 732,800 viewers, including 188,000 in the key adults 25-54 demo.  The show  topped CNN and MSNBC’s 4 PM shows in total viewers and the demo, and even topped FNC in the demo a couple of times in the last week.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

It was a mixed bag for HLN during the month of February. The network was flat in Total Day compared to the same month last year. In primetime, HLN declined among Total Viewers but improved among younger viewers.

The ratings for February, 2013 (Nielsen Live + Same Day data):

• Primetime (Mon-Sun): 389,000 Total Viewers / 140,000 A25-54
• Total Day (Mon-Sun): 281,000 Total Viewers / 106,000 A25-54

Compared to the same month last year, HLN was down -1% in Total Viewers and flat in the A25-54 demographic in Total Day. (Note: percentages are based on a blend of Live +7 and Live +3 data.) In primetime, HLN was down -8% in Total Viewers and up +3% in the demo. It should be noted that HLN had strong ratings for coverage of Whitney Houston‘s death in February 2012.

HLN’s late afternoon hours showed significant year-over-year growth: “Making it in America” at 4pmET was up +111% in Total Viewers and +115% in the A25-54 demographic, while “Evening Express” was up +88% and +123% at 5pmET and +55% and +78% at 6pmET, respectively.

The network had ups and downs in primetime: Jane Velez-Mitchell‘s 7pmET program was up +12% in Total Viewers and +25% among younger viewers, while Nancy Grace‘s 8pmET program was down across the board, -16% in Total Viewers and -14% in the A25-54 demographic. The 9pmET hour, which is home to Dr. Drew Pinsky‘s show and ABC’s “What Would You Do?,” is down -7% in Total Viewers but up +15% in the demographic.

HLN was up the most of the four cable news networks compared to last month: the network grew +26% in Total Viewers and +15% in the demographic in Total Day, and +24% and +18%, respectively, in primetime.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

• Fox Business Network’s Charlie Gasparino is profiled by Cigar Aficionado. Not surprisingly a good deal of talk is about cigars, but there is actually a media angle  to it. Sources love a good cigar after all…

• “60 Minutes” takes itself to task, and examines how the show helped prop up the myth of Lance Armstrong, before helping to dismantle it years later. ”We absolutely helped create the myth,” CBS News chairman Jeff Fager said. Watch after the jump.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

In his new role, Cliff will work with TheBlaze’s president and chief content officer, Joel Cheatwood, on new programming and business development. He was most recently a consultant for Wilkow, a recently launched show on TheBlaze hosted by conservative satellite radio personality Andrew Wilkow.

Before joining TheBlaze, Conway oversaw development of “The Joy Behar Show” and “Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell” on HLN. He has also worked as an executive producer at CNN and as a producer at CNBC.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The ratings for 2012:

• Primetime (Mon-Sun): 337,000 Total Viewers / 114,000 A25-54
• Total Day (Mon-Sun): 243,000 Total Viewers / 95,000 A25-54

Nancy Grace‘s 8pmET program was down -43% in Total Viewers and -35% in A25-54 viewers for the year. Jane Velez-Mitchell‘s 7pmET program was down -31% and -26% and Dr. Drew Pinsky‘s 9pmET program was down -46% and -38%, respectively.

HLN’s quarterly ratings also saw declines: In Total Day, the network was down -16% in Total Viewers and -3% in the demographic compared to the same quarter last year. In primetime, HLN was down -25% and -4%, respectively.

There was some good news for HLN in the month of December — despite year-over-year declines in Total Viewers, HLN was up +7% in Total Day and +2% in primetime in the A25-54 demographic.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The list of correspondents in the field for CNN is after the jump.

Update: HLN is blowing up its primetime lineup to provide hurricane coverage. Those details are also after the jump.
continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

• Total day: FNC: 341 | MSNBC: 208 | CNN: 106 | HLN: 89

• Primetime: FNC: 520 | MSNBC: 381 | CNN: 100 | HLN: 80

	5p:	6p:	7p:	8p:	9p:	10p:	11p:	12a:
FNC	TheFive:	Baier:	Shep:	O’Reilly:	Hannity:	Greta:	O’Reilly:	Hannity:
	339	416	422	665	508	385	364	369
MSNBC	Matthews:	Sharpton:	Matthews:	EdShow:	Maddow:	O’Donnell:	EdShow:	Maddow:
	268	293	318	344	433	360	236	249
CNN	Blitzer:	Blitzer:	Burnett:	Cooper:	Morgan:	Cooper:	Burnett:	Morgan:
	107	111	115	110	63	127	99	128
HLN	Express:	Express:	VelezMitchell:	Grace:	DrDrew:	Grace:	Showbiz:	DrDrew:
	41	34	59	106	74	60	78	47

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The ratings for Q3, 2012:

• Primetime (Mon-Sun): 451,000 Total Viewers / 150,000 A25-54
• Total Day (Mon-Sun): 675,000 Total Viewers / 192,000 A25-54

Compared to Q3 2011, HLN is up +47% in Total Day and +53% in primetime in Total Viewers. The network is down -35% in Total Day and -42% in primetime in the demographic.

“HLN News” at 4pmET and “Evening Express” at 5pmET show a similar pattern. The 4pmET hour is up +47% and the 5pmET hour is up +74% in Total Viewers compared to the year-ago quarter.

HLN’s primetime programming is down across the board year-over-year, although it should be noted that the network’s coverage of the Casey Anthony trial in Q3 2011 gave HLN its best ratings ever. Jane Velez-Mitchell‘s program is down -59% in Total Viewers and -52% in A25-54 viewers, while Nancy Grace‘s program is down -59% and -51%, respectively.

For the month of September, HLN is down -13% in Total Viewers and flat in the demographic in Total Day. In primetime, the network is down -26% and -8%, respectively.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

“I will be honest with you, I’m nervous,” she told me yesterday. “I’ve been at CNN for 14 years, and now I am coming over to HLN, and they have made me the point person for the conventions… I am unbelievably honored, and humbed and nervous!”

Phillips is no cable news rookie, but she says she still feels the pressure at her new home.

“I feel like I am back in college where I am studying every night. I don’t want to fail my bosses, I don’t want to fail my coworkers I don’t want to fail my viewers, I really want to do a great job, and I want to focus on what our viewers really want,” she says.

She is starting things off with a bang, as the point person for HLN’s RNC and DNC coverage. As we have noted, HLN is taking a decidedly different tack in covering the conventions, focusing on the people behind the politics.

“I am excited about the fact that we are going to be talking about the delegates, we are going to be talking about the voters, we are going to be talking about the personal stories of the people that are there, instead of the politicians, and the speeches, and what’s happening at the podium,” Phillips says.

She is also preparing for life after the conventions, when her daily program will really be able to find its voice. Just as Nancy Grace, Jane Velez Mitchell and Dr. Drew all have distinct takes on the news, Phillips says she has her take ready as well.

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.