You Heard It HERE First Former CNN anchor Aaron Brown develops a new show at KJZZ.
n 2005, when Aaron Brown left his CNN post as anchor of “NewsNight with Aaron Brown,” he vowed that if he returned to news, it would be in public broadcasting. Brown had spent the bulk of his career at ABC covering hard news. He was a reporter for “Nightline” and “World News Tonight with Peter Jennings,” and became the fill-in host for Jennings when he was gone. “If it was a national holiday, you knew I was going to be on television,” Brown says with a laugh. He became the permanent anchor of ABC’s “World News Tonight Saturday,” then left to join CNN in 2001. Cable news was uncharted territory for Brown, but it was an opportunity to do something different. He was hired to develop the flagship evening news program and to serve as lead anchor for breaking news, a role that would come to redefine his career. Brown’s first day at CNN was September 11, 2001, and his first breaking news story was covering the terrorist attacks. Brown received praise for his calm, yet firm demeanor during the 18 hours of anchoring he did from Manhattan as the tragedy unfolded. Following the recognition—which included winning the coveted Edward R. Murrow Award—CNN quickly launched “NewsNight.” The program broke the typical cable news mold, but over time Brown was forced to cover the celebrity and other sensational stories that get ratings. The hard news he wanted to report quickly got softer. Brown left CNN in 2005, when the network canceled “NewsNight” and replaced it with “Anderson Cooper 360°.” But Brown’s retirement didn’t last long; he started teaching at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU. Not long after, public broadcasting came knocking 34
Wavelength
In addition to serving as the first Walter Cronkite professor of journalism at Arizona State University, Aaron Brown is lending his talents to KJZZ.
BETTINA HANSEN
By Samuel Hood Burke