Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin will once again ring in the new year on CNN and CNN International. Details from CNN below.

CNN Press Release: Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin will again co-host CNN’s celebration of the New Year’s Eve celebration on Saturday, Dec. 31, from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (ET). The odd-couple will ring in the new year for CNN’s "New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin” live from NYC’s Time Square.

"Get ready, America. Pull up a chair and a box of your finest wine, because you've never seen a New Year's Eve show like this,” said Griffin. “By the time I'm done with him, Anderson's hair is going to be even more gray. In fact, the night is going to be so wild, his hair is actually going to turn brown again."

“Kathy Griffin scares me. I’ve said this often to CNN management directly and through my attorneys,” said Cooper “She continues to appear by my side on New Year’s Eve, so clearly no one is listening to me”

CNN correspondents will provide reports from celebrations across the country and around the world. Isha Sesay will join Cooper and Griffin from the crowds in Times Square and Gary Tuchman will report live from Central Park for the annual Midnight Run. Correspondent John Zarrella will be live in Key West, Florida and Brooke Baldwin from Nashville, Tennessee. The show will simulcast on CNN International. After Anderson and Griffin sign off from Times Square at 12:30a.m. (ET) CNN’s Brooke Baldwin and Marty Savidge will take over from Nashville and count down to midnight, central time.

Leading up to “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin” will be “Best and Worst of 2011,” an Anderson Cooper 360° special, which will air at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.(ET). The special will count down to the new year by looking back at 2010, anchored by Tom Foreman, who will shine a spotlight on the highs and lows of the past twelve months in politics, pop culture, the economy, entertainment, and much more. A re-air of Piers Morgan Tonight will air at 9 p.m. (ET).

Other than the monthly breakdowns, we don't make a habit of posting up ratings on CNN Observations, but it's worth noting CNN's small victory on the last night of the year in which the network recorded its worst primetime performance in around 14 years.

CNN Press Release: CNN Top's Fox News Channel on New Year's Eve by 60% in the Key Demo 25-54 from 11:00 pm - 12:30 am.


CNN New Year’s Eve with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin (11:00 pm – 12:30 am)

811k demo 25-54
1.805 million total viewers


FNC’s All American New Years (11:00 pm – 12:30 am)

506k demo 25-54
1.738 million total viewers


MSNBC did not air New Year’s programming.


Photo credit: CNN/John Nowak

"Can I get a pap smear from Dr. Sanjay Gupta?" -- Kathy Griffin

Tonight on 360°, Anderson Cooper announced he'll be traveling to Pakistan for tomorrow night's broadcast. Will he return for the CNN New Year's Eve special? As of now, CNN.com's main page is still promoting Anderson as host. More info to follow as it is announced...