''Starting Point'' (formerly ''Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien'') is a morning television show on CNN anchored by Soledad O'Brien. The show aired from January 2012 to June 2013. Together with the program '' Early Start'' (4.00–6.00 a.m. weekdays), it replaced '' American Morning'', which ran from September 2001 to December 2011, under a variety of presenters. ''Starting Point'' was itself replaced by '' New Day'' in June 2013, which is broadcast from 6.00–9.00 a.m. daily.

Format

CNN described the show as a "conversational ensemble" with O'Brien at its center. It was broadcast from CNN's studios in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, but had also broadcast in various diners around the United States. Frequent panelists included Will Cain, Margaret Hoover, and Roland S. Martin.

2012 presidential election

The show followed the 2012 Republican primary trail by broadcasting from states where primaries are held, usually in local diners and cafes. In its first two weeks, O'Brien anchored first from

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

and then

Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is the List of municipalities in New Hampshire, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Located on the banks of the Merrimack River, it had a population of 115,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Manches ...

to cover the

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and New Hampshire primary respectively. Other cities the show has covered include

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

and Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

History

Reports emerged in September 2011 that CNN was seeking to replace '' American Morning'' due to poor ratings by bringing Soledad O'Brien back to its morning lineup. O'Brien co-hosted ''American Morning'' from 2003 to 2007. By November 2011, CNN announced that ''American Morning'' would be replaced by two new programs, with O'Brien anchoring the second slot from 7:00-9:00AM. The show's name was announced as ''Starting Point'' via

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

. The show premiered on January 2, 2012, and aired weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET. Along with '' Early Start'', ''Starting Point'' replaced '' American Morning'', which aired from 2001 to 2011. The show received poor ratings, and was canceled in early 2013 by CNN executive Jeff Zucker.Adam Gabbatt
CNN's Soledad O'Brien signs off with call for 'tough conversations'
''The Guardian'' (March 29, 2016). The final show with O'Brien as host aired on March 29, 2013. ''Starting Point'' was replaced by '' New Day'', co-anchored by Chris Cuomo and Kate Bolduan. CNN announced that O'Brien would continue to produce documentaries for CNN and other networks by launching her own start-up production company, Starfish Media Group.Don Kaplan
Soledad O'Brien marks one-year anniversary of her production company, Starfish Media Group
''New York Daily News'' (May 18, 2014).

References

External links

Official website
{{US morning news shows 2012 American television series debuts 2013 American television series endings 2010s American television news shows CNN original programming American English-language television shows