Elex Michaelson is joining CNN as Los Angeles-based anchor, after departing Fox’s L.A. affiliate last month.Michaelson will anchor weeknights from midnight-2 a.m. ET/ 9-11 p.m. PT on CNN and in time zones around the world on CNN International starting this fall, the network said.His hiring marks a move to live programming in the late hours. CNN has been airing repeats of Anderson Cooper 360 and Erin Burnett Outfront in the midnight ET time slot, with its cable news rivals also running encores of shows from earlier in the evening.Michaelson has been a leading personality covering politics and public affairs in the Los Angeles market, creating and hosting The Issue Is with Elex Michaelson on KTTV, featuring interviews with Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom and Nancy Pelosi, among others. He also anchored coverage for KTTV including of the January wildfires, civil unrest and mass shootings.Michaelson departed the station August 15, but did not immediately announce his next move.Michaelson said in a statement, ““I am so excited to join CNN and learn firsthand from some of the most talented journalists on the planet. I’m especially grateful that CNN is expanding its investment in my hometown as the West Coast houses so many global leaders in politics, entertainment, technology, sports and more. This is truly a dream job.”Michaelson previously worked for KABC-TV in Los Angeles and as a weekend morning anchor and weeknight reporter at XETV in San Diego. He has won eight Emmys and was named TV Journalist of the Year in 2023 by the Los Angeles Press Club.CNN had offered Jim Acosta the midnight ET time slot last year, which likely would have meant he would move to the West Coast. Acosta had been anchoring in the higher-profile time slot at 10 a.m. ET, and instead chose to depart the network and start his own Substack channel.
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