Nexstar is activating its synergy machine at NewsNation, the company’s cable news channel.
NewsNation will launch an afternoon panel show called The Hill on April 24, based on the digital politics publication of the same name. (The Hill’s news operation already powers NewsNation’s chyron scroll of headlines during programming.) Nexstar acquired The Hill for $130 million two years ago.
The Hill will run at 5 p.m. ET, and will be hosted by anchor Leland Vittert, who will be joined each day by a high-profile guest and four panelists, who will include NewsNation’s political editor Chris Stirewalt, senior political contributor George Will, former Obama aide Johanna Maska, and associate editor of TheHill.com, Niall Stanage. Former NBC Meet the Press executive producer Rob Yarin will serve in the same capacity for The Hill.
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Vittert will relocate to Washington, D.C., and will continue to anchor NewsNation’s 7 p.m. show On Balance.
Nexstar’s tweaks to the NewsNation schedule come amid a busy few months for the local TV giant. The largest owner of local stations in the country, Nexstar has turned to national networks in an expansion push.
That has meant investing in NewsNation (including adding The Hill to its afternoon lineup, and former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo to its primetime lineup), as well as The CW, which it acquired from Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery last year.
“As the nation awaits another presidential election, we are incredibly proud to debut a new program that will spotlight the top news headlines coming out of Washington,” said Cherie Grzech, NewsNation’s vp news and managing editor. “Engaging in powerful discussions with top politicians, thought leaders, and policy makers, will enable us to inform and educate our viewers about the key issues that impact communities across America.”
