CNN announced today that Jay Kernis was hired as managing editor, leaving his position as senior vice president of programming for NPR. Kernis will join CNN on February 4.

In the new role, Kernis will be responsible for overseeing news planning, health, technology, environment and entertainment newsgathering units and guest bookings. He will be based out of New York and report to SVP of newsgathering Nancy Lane.

"CNN is committed to providing in-depth reporting and analysis, rich storytelling and top-notch investigations," Lane said in the press release. "Jay's track record of success at NPR and 60 Minutes will help us add even more dimension and differentiation to our reporting."

Click continued to see CNN's full release...

Expanding upon CNN's momentum and building on its recent successes, CNN/U.S. has appointed Jay Kernis as managing editor, it was announced today by Nancy Lane, senior vice president of newsgathering for CNN/U.S. Kernis is currently the senior vice president of programming for NPR and will join CNN on Monday, Feb. 4.

A proven and established veteran in public radio as well as an award-winning producer for CBS News' programs such as 60 Minutes, Kernis will oversee one of the most critical areas within any news organization, content development. His responsibilities will include oversight of these newsgathering units: news planning, health, technology and environment, entertainment and guest bookings. He will be based at the Time Warner Center in New York City and will report directly to Lane.

"CNN is committed to providing in-depth reporting and analysis, rich storytelling and top-notch investigations," Lane said. "Jay's track record of success at NPR and 60 Minutes will help us add even more dimension and differentiation to our reporting."

"This is a spectacular opportunity," Kernis said. "CNN has extraordinary reach, nationally and around the world. I'm excited because I know that CNN is a place that's open to experimenting and taking chances. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of the smart, interesting and focused journalists. I'm delighted to be joining their team and to help further CNN's deep and rich coverage of the news."

At NPR, Kernis was in charge of the creation, acquisition, development and growth of all NPR content and developed many new programming initiatives. Most recently, he guided the launches of such programs as Day to Day, News & Notes, Tell Me More and a new program targeted toward the network’s younger audiences.

Kernis first joined NPR in 1974 and was instrumental in the creation, design and development of such programs as Morning Edition and Weekend Edition. He left NPR for CBS in 1987 and, over a 14-year career, produced reports and segments for programs such as 60 Minutes and CBS This Morning. He returned to NPR in 2001.

He has won numerous awards, an Emmy and a Gracie Allen Award among them. In 1981, while senior producer for Morning Edition, the program won an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award. As executive producer of Weekend Edition, he and John Hockenberry won the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. In 1986, Esquire Magazine's cited him as one of its "Men and Women under 40 who are Changing the Nation."

Kernis received his bachelor's degree in journalism with honors from the University of Maryland, which named him a Distinguished Journalism Alumnus in 2006.