Christiane Amanpour, ABC's 'This Week' In Talks

ABC is in talks with Christiane Amanpour for the "This Week" hosting job, Politico's Michael Calderone reports.

Amanpour, the star CNN international correspondent who recently launched a new Sunday show on CNN, is known mostly for her global reporting, making her a somewhat surprising consideration for a show that has mostly focused on domestic politics.

George Stephanopoulos left the show to join "Good Morning America." Since his departure, a mix of ABC News talent — including Barbara Walters, Jonathan Karl, Jake Tapper, Terry Moran, and Elizabeth Vargas — has filled in. ABC political analyst and former Bush campaign strategist Matthew Dowd guest-hosts this Sunday.

"On Sunday morning, we're looking for someone who is very intelligent and a strong interviewer and can engage in a discussion," ABC News president David Westin, who added that he hopes to make a decision in a matter of weeks, said recently. "Someone who can bring out conflicting points of view" and who "has a broad sense of public policy."

A CNN spokesperson had no comment to Politico; neither did ABC News Senior Vice President Jeffrey Schneider, who said the network has "talked to lots of people inside and outside" regarding the position.

Comments

[janiejones]

05:59 PM on 03/09/2010

ABC News is laying off 300 to 400 staffers, roughly 25 percent of the news division workforce. Was all that to save enough money to buy celebrity journalists? I respect Ms. Amanpour but how can ABC News justify what would probably be a mega-salary to get her?

[Al91206]

12:47 PM on 03/09/2010

FINALLY - a choice that would actually make me WANT to watch This Week!

[Nairb50]

11:30 AM on 03/09/2010

I like Gwen Ifill for the position. Christiane Amanpour looks like a man in drag...in fact she looks like Antonio Banderas with a wig. And while I am at it...isn't time for Bob Schieffer at CBS to retire. For someone who didn't want to stay at the network...he sure is taking his slow, sweet time leaving. He's getting to a point where I am starting to lose my appetite just looking at him...similar to what happens when I look at Andy Rooney. White folks age so badly. It's God's punishment for slavery.

[christonabike]

11:42 AM on 03/09/2010

Shame on you. Christiane Amanpour does not look like a man in drag and this is just another example of style over substance! That said, I like Gwen Ifil too.

[mistlesuede]

11:06 PM on 03/08/2010

I made the mistake of tuning in this week. Saw the "host" and immediately turned the channel to a cable classical music station.
I hate to say it, but Christiane Amanpour is probably too intelligent to settle for this show. If I'm wrong and she was to take it, I would definitely tune in. I respect her very much and would enjoy her strong, intelligent, reasonable interviews.

[SongSinger]

03:15 AM on 03/09/2010

I also think that Amanpour is too intelligent for The Week and all of the other gas-gaggery shows.

She might be forced to lower her standards to get guests, especially since most of the guests brought on by the producers are lying republicans who would not could not tolerate this very well informed intelligent WOMAN.

The reason these gas-baggery talk shows are so popular with the republicans is that they know that they can say anything, no matter how outragous, and the chief gas-bagger will not challenge the truthfullness of the lies or do any fact checking. Plus the repub guests can have free reign with regard to air time while the gas-baggery host just about attacks the Democratic guest for even daring to breathe.

Want proof? Watch Meet The Press with David Gregory. (I just know that this guy has video tape of someone important at that network).

And how many times did you hear one of the lying liars say "There were not ter'rist on this country during the Bush administration?

While CNN is just two steps above a toilet (Fox being one step), Amanpour should stay at CNN where the international correspondents are on her level intellectually.

But if she does go to ABC I might buy a television set. Probably not just to watch one show.

[mistlesuede]

09:33 AM on 03/09/2010

Can't disagree with anything you said. Sounds like we think alike on this subject!! I actually turned off MTP when I heard Gregory going after Kathleen Sebelius. He was relentless over some point that I really did not give a hoot about.
I miss Tim Russert so much and especially every Sunday morning. He was from my hometown of Buffalo, NY and I watched him not because he was from here, but because he was SO GOOD at what he did.
I know some people don't care for David Schuster, but he would have been a much better choice to replace Tim.
I heard yesterday that Gregory is very good friends with none other than Karl Rove! How's that for a nauseating tidbit? Remember seeing the two of them dancing like fools to that rap about Rove at the correspondents dinner a few years back? That was the last time I tuned in for that also.

[synergyblayze]

11:03 PM on 03/08/2010

just not Matthew Dowd EVER AGAIN... "and coming up later... the sunday funnies.... looked and sonded like he was at an REALLY BAG audition to play George ... ugh

[ejc bama]

08:29 PM on 03/08/2010

If ABC is smart they will do whatever they can and pay whatever they need to to get Rachel Maddow on This week. I bet she would jump networks!

[justadood]

05:27 PM on 03/08/2010

She's one of the last of the 'old-school CNN', from the days they actually *reported*, as opposed to panel-format/Crossfire-format opinion shows.

I hope getting her own show doesn't send her down the road Arthur Kent took to iconoclasm and inflated ego.... Good Luck, if you get the offer, Christiane !!

[airforcevet43]

03:33 PM on 03/08/2010

Great Choice.....Then we could get back to real news and journalism and do away with the latest corporate interest talking points.

Then let's get Maddow to take over MTP, and we will have the type of journalistic referees required to help change Washington.

And finally, Fareed could take over the CNN prime slot and Sunday morning, could again, be an informative venue setting the stage for the weeks' commentary.

After the topics have been established and qualified, then the gossipers would be able to carry on with their glamour shots until the next Sunday rolls around.

[SongSinger]

03:21 AM on 03/09/2010

But with Rachel, the producers would find it difficult to get republican guests (not that that would bother me) becaues the republicans know that RM does the research and knows the issues.

Plus, she would call them out on their lies using facts. I watch over the internet but would consider purchasing a television so I can watch real time.

[christonabike]

11:38 AM on 03/09/2010

Every Sunday I watch Fareed Zakaria GPS and Christiane Amanpour on CNN and feel like I have a decent understanding of what's going on in the world. Zakaria even puts his research online for all to read. His conversation with Gen. Petraeus this past Sunday was incredibly wide ranging.

I would love to see Gwen Ifil or Rachel Maddow take the chair, both women have real depth and an ability to challenge without backing down.

[claudiam]

01:54 PM on 03/08/2010

A woman of substance! She would be great. claudiatucsonaz

[NoSillyName]

01:31 PM on 03/08/2010

CA is fantastic and would bring intelligence & class to any news show. To bad she can't replace DG.

[ebanks84]

11:55 AM on 03/08/2010

I think a move from CNN would better her chances of moving up that's for sure. She's TOO good for CNN and deserves to be given a better opportunity wherever that might be.

[NotMcCain]

02:20 AM on 03/08/2010

Unlike Stephanoplous, she's an actual journalist. "Amanpour" is quite a good program on CNN.

She'd be great on "This Week", but they'd have to go for more substance. And I can't see the same roundtable of so-called pundits repeating DC talking points ad nauseum.

I don't think ABC could handle the change in quality. It would scare them.

[Artistofleisure]

01:25 AM on 03/08/2010

hahahahahahahahahahahaah, ok wait hahahahahahahahahaha, just a sec hahahahahahahaha ok let me catch my breath, hahahahahahahaha, yes she will be the voice or reason and a centrist, hahahahahhahahahahahah, ok I am Kidding, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, I love "Progressives" Well she took CNN to Number One 1. hahahahahahahahahahaha. Good luck with that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NoSillyName]

01:32 PM on 03/08/2010

What is your problem?

[justadood]

05:21 PM on 03/08/2010

one too many whiffs of the Laughing Gas, man......

breathing too much Notrous Oxide can kill Brain cells........oops, too late....

[edejan]

12:04 AM on 03/08/2010

Sunday morning talk show host? Seems a little too trivial for her. Her own show is beyond excellent. She is much, much too intelligent to be just another "talking head."

[Artistofleisure]

01:31 AM on 03/08/2010

Will they let her wear her Jungle coat and pit helmet? it is really the only way to tell that she is a new person, i thought she was a lion trainer for three years untl i realized that was a mic and not the handle of a whip. She is a light weight.

[NoSillyName]

01:32 PM on 03/08/2010

You're full of **it.

[bmermaid]

11:15 PM on 03/07/2010

I've pretty much quit watching the Sunday morning news shows- I'm just so tired of the self-appointed "expert" talking heads & the self-serving pols that appear only when they have a lobbiest-driven agenda to push. News? More like a carnival side-show. It's all about the sensationalism.
But Christiane Amenpour could change that. She is a real journalist, and exactly why she may not take the job.