History of CNN (1980–2003) the channel's first newscast. Among the first segments was an interview with then-President Jimmy Carter by Daniel Schorr. On January 1, 1982, the channel launched a spin-off network called CNN2, which was subsequently renamed Headline News (HLN) the following year in January 1983. Whereas CNN featured a mix of newscasts and specialized topical and feature programs, Headline News was originally formatted to strictly focus on rolling news coverage, featuring half-hour newscasts 24 hours a day with segments scheduled in fixed timeslots each half-hour; as such, it was one of the first news channels to utilize a "wheel" schedule. Headline News
CNN Tonight CNN Tonight CNN Tonight, branded as CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, is a late evening news/opinion program airing on CNN, focusing on the news of the day. Hosted by American journalist Don Lemon, the show airs weeknights from 10 p.m. to midnight (Eastern Time). The first hour is simulcast on CNN International. A program of the same name aired on CNN in the spring of 1985, as a replacement for Sandi Freeman until "Larry King Live" premiered. Another program of the same name debuted in 2001 with Bill Hemmer as anchor, but it was cancelled the same year. Another program