Brown exits NBC for CNN

After weeks of rumors, CNN confirmed Monday that Campbell Brown was leaving NBC for a new post at the cable news channel.

CNN/U.S. President Jonathan Klein said Brown would anchor an hourlong evening program but declined to confirm widespread speculation that she will be replacing Paula Zahn, who currently anchors the low-rated 5 p.m. newscast. CNN executives said they would provide more details about Brown’s assignment shortly.

Brown, who signed off as anchor of NBC’s “Weekend Today” on Sunday, was a regular substitute for NBC anchor Brian Williams and a contender to replace Katie Couric on “Today” last year. She said that she decided to make the jump to CNN because “it’s a rare opportunity to build a show from scratch and put my mark on it.”

“I get that what I’m doing carries risk,” Brown said, adding: “I wanted a challenge. I didn’t want to do the comfortable and easy thing.”

She officially starts at CNN in September but won’t be seen on the air until November as part of a deal with NBC to let her go.

The news of Brown’s hire came on a busy day of musical chairs in the television industry, as NBC announced it had nabbed CBS correspondent Lee Cowan and CBS said it had poached longtime correspondent Dean Reynolds from ABC. Both will be based in Chicago.

- Matea Gold