Morning Express with Robin Meade

Morning Express with Robin Meade is an American morning news program that aired on the HLN television network in the United States from 2005 to December 5, 2022.

Morning Express with Robin Meade
Morning Express with Robin Meade logo
Presented byRobin Meade
Bob Van Dillen
Jennifer Westhoven
Melissa Knowles
Coy Wire
Andy Scholes
Country of originUnited States
Production
Production locationsAtlanta, Georgia
Running time300 minutes (five hours)
Original release
NetworkHLN (2005–2022)
SiriusXM 117[1]
Release2005 (2005) –
December 5, 2022 (2022-12-05)
Related
Robin & Company

About the show edit

Morning Express with Robin Meade aired weekdays on HLN from 6:00 am to 11:00 am ET. The show broadcast live from the CNN Center in Atlanta, with a focus on news headlines pertaining to crime, politics, weather, entertainment, health, sports, and the economy.

Morning Express featured anchor Robin Meade, meteorologist Bob Van Dillen, money correspondent Jennifer Westhoven, entertainment correspondent Melissa Knowles, and sports anchor Coy Wire.[2] The group was once described by Stephen King as "his morning people" in his Entertainment Weekly column.

Between October 2008 and April 2009, the show was accompanied by the "Morning Express Challenge" trivia game. The game ran from 8 to 10 a.m. Eastern and offered trivia on current events, polls, predictions and a chat room. Meade and the other correspondents often took part in the chat room and mentioned game players on the air. Trivia game players were eligible to win prizes that included trips, T-shirts, bathrobes, and a variety of others.[3]

On December 1, 2022, it was reported that Morning Express had been cancelled in the wake of cost-cutting measures following the Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Beginning December 6, HLN would simulcast CNN This Morning with its sister network.[4][5]

Weekend Express edit

A weekend edition of the show titled Weekend Express first aired in 2014. This version, last anchored by Susan Hendricks, followed the similar fast-paced headline format of Morning Express and aired on weekends from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm ET on HLN.[6] Previously, Weekend Express has been anchored by Lynn Smith and Natasha Curry.

 
The show's former logo

Robin and Company era edit

From 1982 to 2005, HLN (then known as CNN Headline News) did not have a predominant morning program, but the network decided in 2005 to build a program around Robin Meade based on her growing ratings and popularity among viewers. The program was originally called Robin & Company.

Effective November 5, 2007, the program was renamed Morning Express with Robin Meade. The renamed program billed itself as the "fastest morning news show on television".[7]

Notable personalities edit

Current edit

 
Morning Express with Robin Meade billboard in New York City
  • Robin Meade – main anchor (2005–2022)
  • Bob Van Dillen – meteorologist (2005–2022)
  • Jennifer Westhoven – business & finance correspondent and weekend fill-in anchor (2006–2022)
  • Melissa Knowles – entertainment correspondent and weekend fill-in anchor (2015–2022)
  • Andy Scholes – sports anchor (2013–2022)
  • Coy Wire – sports anchor (2015–2022)
  • Shyann Malone – weekday anchor and weekend fill-in anchor (2018–2022)
  • Elizabeth Prann – weekday and weekend fill-in anchor (2018–2022)
  • Kristina Fitzpatrick – correspondent (2015–2022)
  • Natisha Lance – investigative correspondent and weekend fill-in anchor (2021–2022)
  • Susan HendricksWeekend Express anchor and fill-in weekday anchor (2005–2022)
  • Allison Chinchar – Weekend Express meteorologist (2015–2022)

Past edit

References edit

  1. ^ "HLN". SiriusXM. 26 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Morning Express with Robin Meade". CNN. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022.
  3. ^ Nanogaming.com Archived 2009-03-15 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Steinberg, Brian (December 1, 2022). "HLN Gutted By CNN Layoffs". Variety. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  5. ^ Weprin, Alix (December 1, 2022). "CNN Chief Outlines Cuts: HLN Slashed, International Reorganized, "Core" News Product In Focus". The Hollywood Report. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  6. ^ "Weekend Express with Susan Hendricks". CNN. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022.
  7. ^ "TVNewser". mediabistro.com. 2007-10-22. Archived from the original on 2010-07-06. Retrieved 2013-08-09.
  8. ^ Steinberg, Brian (June 26, 2022). "Christi Paul, CNN's 'New Day' Weekend Anchor, Will Depart". Variety. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  9. ^ Smith, Lynn [@LynnSmithTV] (June 25, 2021). "Breaking news of my own, after 8 years at CNN Headline News, I have decided to take a leap of faith and explore adventures outside of TV News. There are so many people to thank including YOU so head over to my website http://lynnsmithtv.com for more on what's to come!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2022 – via Twitter.

External links edit