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 William Headline William Headline (December 24, 1931 – October 20, 2008) served as Washington bureau chief for 12 years during the formative years of CNN and headed the Voter News Service during the United States 2000 presidential election. Given his name and his profession, Wolf Blitzer described Headline as having "the best name in news". William Headline was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in East Aurora, New York. The family surname had been Americanized by his Swedish immigrant ancestors. Headline attended Ohio Wesleyan University where he majored in geology. He was an intelligence officer in the United States