CNN is making a rare move into Los Angeles with a new late-night newscast, and longtime California political reporter Elex Michaelson will be at the helm.
The network announced Thursday that Michaelson, who left Fox’s KTTV last month, will anchor a live two-hour program starting in mid-October. The show will broadcast from CNN’s studios on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, airing from 9 to 11 p.m. on the West Coast and midnight to 2 a.m. in the East. It will also reach viewers overseas on CNN International.
Michaelson told the Los Angeles Times he first pitched a live West Coast prime-time show to CNN more than four years ago, but the idea was initially rejected. “Sometimes good things happen to those who wait,” he said.
The launch comes as California takes center stage in national politics. Governor Gavin Newsom, seen as a possible frontrunner for the 2028 Democratic presidential race, has been ramping up his criticism of President Trump. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, also based in Los Angeles, remains a key figure to watch.
Michaelson has interviewed Newsom more times than any other TV journalist in the state. At KTTV, he not only anchored evening and late-night newscasts but also hosted “The Issue Is,” a political program that focused heavily on California.
CNN’s new show will stand out in a time slot dominated by reruns. Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC all rely on repeats after midnight Eastern, making Michaelson’s live broadcast the only fresh option for late-night cable news. It will also be CNN’s first Los Angeles-based show since “Larry King Live” ended in 2010. Currently, Fox’s “News @ Night” with Trace Gallagher is the only other nationally televised nightly news program produced in the city.
Earlier this year, CNN had considered filling the slot with Washington anchor Jim Acosta. But Acosta rejected the move, seeing the shift from midday to after midnight as a downgrade. He left CNN in January and now runs a Substack newsletter.
Michaelson’s appointment gives the new program a stronger editorial direction rooted in California. A native of Agoura Hills, he has spent his entire career in Southern California and says being based in Los Angeles will allow him to feature “West Coast thought leaders in politics, entertainment, technology, sports and more.”
The show will premiere just weeks before Californians vote on redrawing the state’s congressional districts, a fight Michaelson says could decide control of the U.S. House. “Although it’s a fight in California, the impact will be felt not just around the country but around the world,” he said.
Michaelson is also known for a quirky tradition: gifting his guests baked goods from his mother’s kitchen. But with a nightly two-hour program featuring multiple guests, he admits that may need to change. “We may need to revise that,” he said.
