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
William Headline bureau chief in Washington, D.C., filling a position that had been occupied by six different individuals in the three years before he was hired. As bureau chief, Headline oversaw the growth of CNN Washington bureau from 80 to 350 staff members. He remained as bureau chief until 1996, when CNN named him to serve as the vice president managing special projects and pool assignments. He served as the chairman of the Washington-based Radio and Television Correspondents' Association. Headline left CNN in 1998 and became the executive director of the Voter News Service, a consortium of television networks and newspapers that