Candy Crowley is the new anchor of CNN's State of the Union.

Calling Crowley a "remarkable journalist" during a tease of the announcement at the start of today's program, John King revealed the news at the conclusion of the 9am hour of his final SOTU this morning.

The anchor seat on CNN's Sunday morning political news review became available after King was promoted to prime time in November last year.


Update: Here's the official press release from CNN, which includes details some changes to the Sunday morning lineup.

CNN Press Release: CNN Announces New Sunday Lineup to Begin Feb. 7 at 9 a.m.

Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley has been named anchor of CNN’s Sunday morning political program, State of the Union, it was announced today by Jonathan Klein, president, CNN/U.S. Crowley will take the reins of the program beginning Sunday, Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. (ET). The program will continue the tradition of hosting a political hour of newsmaker interviews along with analysis of the week’s most important issues.

“Candy’s rare combination of shrewd insight and healthy irreverence for the games politicians play has made her one of the most honored political journalists and a cult figure among CNN viewers,” said Klein. “Every Sunday she’ll translate Washington-speak into plain English that every American can understand, as she has been doing better than any reporter on the beat for decades.”

“To me, Sunday morning is a sweet spot—a weekly meeting place to bring the hopes, worries and questions of everyday Americans I talk with along the campaign trail to the people I talk with in the Corridors of Power,” says Crowley. “Add to those conversations, interviews with A-team experts and international heavyweights making sense of global issues and what you have is interesting, relevant information. I can’t wait.”

An award-winning political journalist, Crowley joins the ranks of the network’s all-star Sunday lineup that includes Christiane Amanpour and Fareed Zakaria. The new Sunday lineup will begin with State of the Union at 9 a.m., followed by Fareed Zakaria GPS at 10 a.m. and Reliable Sources at 11 a.m. An updated edition of State of the Union will air at noon followed by a replay of GPS at 1 p.m. CNN’s Amanpour will air at 2 p.m. and replay at 5 p.m.

State of the Union launched one year ago with CNN’s chief national correspondent John King at the helm, and quickly became the most-quoted of the Sunday morning talk shows. In the wake of that success, it was recently announced that King would take over the weekday 7 p.m. program, which will launch in February.

Since joining CNN in 1987, Crowley’s assignments have taken her to all 50 states and around the world. She most recently served as the network’s senior political correspondent covering a broad range of stories, including presidential, congressional and gubernatorial races and major legislative developments on Capitol Hill.

As a member of the Peabody Award-winning “Best Political Team on Television,” she played a pivotal role in CNN’s America Votes 2008 coverage, traveling to both conventions, every debate and additional stops along the campaign trail. Crowley earned a prestigious Gracie Allen Award in 2009 for her coverage of Hillary Clinton’s bid for the White House. She also was part of the network’s Emmy Award-winning 2006 mid-term election coverage.

In her career, Crowley has covered the presidential campaigns of Pat Buchanan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Howard Dean, Bob Dole, Jesse Jackson, Edward Kennedy, John Kerry, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, among others. Since the presidential nomination of Jimmy Carter, she has covered all but one of the national political conventions.

CNN Press Release - CNN anchor and chief national correspondent John King will take the helm of a new weeknight political program to air on CNN at 7 p.m., beginning early next year, it was announced today by Jonathan Klein, president of CNN/U.S.

As one of the nation’s leading political reporters, King will host a definitive political hour that goes well beyond the surface of the day’s top stories to provide in-depth analysis and context to key political movements in Washington and across the nation. As King does on his Sunday program, State of the Union, he will sit down with a wide range of the day’s top newsmakers, key political reporters and analysts, and elected officials.

“The program will reflect what CNN is all about: straight facts from our anchors and the widest range of opinions from across the political spectrum,” said Klein. “John has enthralled CNN viewers with his vast political knowledge, and he has spent the past year reporting from beyond the Beltway on pressing policy issues and the real people they impact. Every night, he’ll share his passion and his insights about what is really going on in Washington and across America.”

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity, at this busy and consequential time, to have a platform to discuss and explore the big issues of our time,” said King. “There is a lot of noise and conflict in our political discourse, which is fun to cover, but I’m convinced from my travels that people also thirst for more details as well as insight and context. I’m looking forward to combining those conversations with top newsmakers, smart reporting and expert analysis.”

King joins the weekday roster of CNN journalists that include Wolf Blitzer, Campbell Brown, Anderson Cooper and Larry King. He will continue to anchor State of the Union until early next year.

King joined the network in 1997 after a 12-year career at the Associated Press, and launched the network’s successful Sunday program State of the Union earlier this year. Since the launch of State of the Union in January, King has delivered numerous news-making interviews, including those with President Barack Obama, former Vice President Dick Cheney, Gen. George Casey, Secretary Robert Gates, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, Admiral Mike Mullen, Gen. Colin Powell, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and key members of Congress and state officials. Moreover, in the 45 weeks on the air, King has visited 45 states with his Sunday program, looking beyond the beltway at the pain of the recession, the health care debate and other national challenges.

King was an integral part of CNN’s innovative “America Votes 2008” coverage of the presidential campaign, which earned a Peabody award. During the campaign, he traveled to important early election states to cover and interview major candidates, breaking news about campaign developments and pioneering the use of the CNN “Magic Wall.” While at CNN, he also served as the network’s senior White House correspondent. The 2008 campaign marked the sixth presidential election King has covered. In addition, he has reported extensively across the United States and the world, including the first Gulf War, the war in Iraq and the Southeast Asia tsunami.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

CNN Press Release - CNN continues to deliver more newsmakers with a stellar lineup of A-list interviews, including:

Today, Sept. 17: Wolf Blitzer has an exclusive interview with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai about U.S. troop presence in the country, the accusation of fraud in the recent presidential election and other important issues. The interview airs today in The Situation Room beginning at 4 p.m. (ET).

Today, Sept. 17: Chris Lawrence has an exclusive interview with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden during his visit to Iraq, addressing how ready Iraq is to take over its own security and concerns over Iran's influence in the region. The interview airs today throughout CNN’s programming.

Sunday, Sept. 20: John King’s wide-ranging interview with President Barack Obama will air during the 9 a.m. (ET) hour of State of the Union with John King.

Sunday, Sept. 20: In Fareed Zakaria’s exclusive interview with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, the Russian president laid out his problems with the U.S. missile defense shield plans. The interview airs on GPS at 1 p.m. (ET).

Monday, Sept. 21: Christiane Amanpour launches Amanpour. on CNN International with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke discussing the issues underlying the powder keg that is Afghanistan -- the war there, the growing power of the Taliban, the fraud charges surrounding the recent election, and the tough road ahead.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

CNN Press Release - President Barack Obama will sit down with CNN’s John King for a wide-ranging interview to air on Sunday, Sept. 20 during the 9 a.m. hour of State of the Union with John King. Chief national correspondent and anchor King last interviewed Obama just days before his Jan. 20 inauguration. The interview will air in its entirety on State of the Union with John King, which airs domestically on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is syndicated in part on CNN International.

Chief national correspondent and State of the Union anchor John King is in Portland, Maine today. He is traveling for his weekly diner segment filmed for Sunday morning's program. He sat down with locals at the Miss Portland Diner to discuss the health care debate and had a "downeast reuben" -- Maine-caught haddock with slaw and cheese. Tune in Sunday at 11am for their conversation!

CNN Press Release - State of the Union with John King live from the Minnesota State Fair this Sunday, Sept. 6

John King, CNN’s chief national correspondent and anchor of State of the Union with John King, traveled to Wisconsin this week where he spent time on a dairy farm to look at the impact of local health care co-ops and investigate whether they could work on a national level.

This Sunday, Sept. 6, the CNN Express will take State of the Union on the road to broadcast live from the Minnesota State Fair. Tune in from 9am – 1pm ET for John’s interviews with Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and more.

The Baltimore Sun - The gray sky, steady rain, a sea of umbrellas, tolling bells and the ancient stones of the Boston basilica. Televised coverage Saturday of the funeral mass for Ted Kennedy was somber, stirring and deeply moving.

I can't explain this except by the weather, perhaps, but the opening images as mourners waited at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica for the coffin of Senator Kennedy to arrive seemed very British somehow. Maybe it involved all the gray and black suits, dresses, coats and umrellas. or all the present-day politicians and former heads of state moving with such solemnity.

But even the rain drops on the lenses of the cameras somehow seemed right. Maybe I'm thinking metaphorically, as in, even the heavens wept.

The Catholic funeral liturgy has its own sort of somber majesty, but the musical performances of Yo-Yo Ma, Placido Domingo and Susan Graham seemed to elevate their moments onstage to the ethereal.

I am not going to make this a long post; I feel emotionally spent from watching the Friday and Saturday services, and I want to watch and post on the burial later. The words Saturday of Ted Kennedy Jr. alone as he described his father helping him up a snow-covered hill shortly after he lost a leg as an adolescent to bone cancer were overwhleming.

But I do want to highlight one aspect of the TV coverage of the funeral mass -- the work of John King on CNN.

I broke my pledge to watch only C-SPAN. As I waited for the mass to begin, I started surfing all the coverage and I came upon King, host of CNN's "State of the Union" show, standing in the rain outside the church reporting on the scene in the old neighborhood at the foot of the basilica. What I saw kept me glued to CNN.

King and the CNN cameras (which appeared to be those of Boston's outstanding news station WCVB-TV) caught the first glimpses of the funeral motorcade as it came up a hill toward the basilica on a street lined by old rowhouses that could have been in almost any working or middle class neighborhood in Baltimore.

It was a powerful tableau that grounded the larger-than-life Washington image of Kennedy in the brickand mortar reality of the people in Boston whom he served.

"As the hearse made it's way up the hill, " King reported that he could hear applause and some cheering from people on the street.

"... There was a woman holding a child out the window to see," he said.

King's words provided a great bit of detail that the cameras didn't. But more important than anything he said was the fact that King was there in the rain reporting a small part of this very large story.

King was the star of CNN's widely-praised and highly-rated election coverage last fall -- in fact, he was the star of all the coverage on all the channels and networks. He is now the host of the most thorough and wide-ranging Sunday morning show on network or cable TV, "State of the Union." He does not have to be standing in the rain outside the church.

But he was, and he was doing the straightforward, just-the-facts, honest work of reporting a piece of history without ego or pretense.

Roland Martin, Ed Rollins, David Gergen -- I didn't need or want more analysts sitting in a studio talking about Kennedy. In fact, that was the last thing I wanted -- studio heads telling me what I was feeling.

I wanted the kind of effort King was providing to modestly help CNN report every aspect of the story of the funeral mass and burial of this towering political figure.

In that moment in the rain, King reminded me of what I felt when I saw ABC anchorman Charles Gibson standing on-camera alongside the road leading to the Kennedy Hyannis Port compound the night after Kennedy's death. They were both doing the core work of journalism, and each in his own way, was also paying tribute to Kennedy his on-the-ground out-of-the-studio efforts.

They made me proud to be part of the working press -- and that is a feeling one rarely has these days.

CNN Press Release - Building on an election year in which CNN’s innovative coverage set new records for viewership and outdrew both the broadcast and the cable news networks on Election Night, the network launched a new kind of Sunday program earlier this year, State of the Union with John King. Each week, the nation’s top political reporter helms a four hour power block of programming from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (ET) and delves into the top political stories, both inside and outside of Washington.

Since the launch of State of the Union with John King in January, King has interviewed a wide range of key newsmakers, including President Barack Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney, who joined the program for his first television interview since returning to private life. Additionally, King interviewed newly-appointed cabinet members during President Obama’s first 100 days, three of which were exclusive, prior to the other Sunday shows.

King has made it a priority to travel beyond the Beltway each week to hear the voices of everyday Americans, to listen to their stories, and to inform his own reporting in Washington when interviewing newsmakers. Visiting more than two dozen states in the last six months, King has reported from communities such as Lansing, Mich., Orlando, Fla., Selma, Ala., and Spring Hill, Tenn. and has covered issues including the health care debate, the auto industry, the economy and the rise of unemployment during his “American Dispatch” reports and weekly “CNN Diner” segments.

Below are more details along with the successes of State of the Union, thus far:

State of the Union executive producer Michelle Jaconi was hired from NBC to launch CNN’s new Sunday program. Jaconi was a 12-year veteran of Meet the Press with Tim Russert, where she started as an intern and worked her way up to producer and political analyst.

- In a recent TV Week article, producers from all of the Sunday programs agreed that President Obama is the biggest “get” you can achieve for Sunday morning. President-elect Barack Obama was on State of the Union’sdebut program January 18.

- Former Vice President Dick Cheney chose State of the Union for his first television interview since leaving office. Cheney’s assertion to King that the policies of the new president had made Americans “less safe” continues to drive the national dialogue five months later.

- King was the first to interview General David Petraeus and General Ray Odierno after President Obama took office.

- The husband and wife duo of Democratic strategist James Carville and Republican strategist Mary Matalin have chosen State of the Union as the only program where they will appear exclusively together, having previously appeared together only on Meet the Press.

- Sunday, July 5, marked the first time that a high level guest has ever used CNN’s Magic Wall. While King anchored remotely from Los Angeles, Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stepped up to graphically illustrate military strategy through an update of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq on the Magic Wall while in the Washington studio.

- State of the Union makes news relevant and is becoming the next generation of political news by marrying public policy with the American public. The “CNN Diner” segment King conducts each week with locals in various communities empowers everyday Americans to weigh in on issues along with the Washington pundits.

- As far as diversity, King has conducted interviews with more than 200 female and minority guests in the last six months.

- Launch-to-date through July 5, State of the Union has increased its audience by double digits among total viewers and the demo compared to the same time a year ago. Given that 2008 was CNN’s best year on record, State of the Union’s 13% growth among total viewers and 10% growth among 25-54 over last year, speaks to the strong success of the new program, its format and John King’s skillful reporting.

- State of the Union was ahead of the curve on the health care debate. In the recent months, the program has consistently broken news on Congress and the cost of health care while having exclusive newsworthy guests such as Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, White House Budget Director Peter Orzag, as well as Sens. Susan Collins, Ben Nelson, and Dianne Feinstein.

- The news made on State of the Union dominates the stories found in national and local newspapers on Monday mornings. While State of the Union is still the newest show in the Sunday morning zeitgeist, it generally surpasses the other Sunday talk shows in newspaper clippings.

- Producers disseminate a weekly State of the Union Crib Sheet, which includes the best moments from all the Sunday talk shows with insight and analysis from King. Subscribe by choosing the "Political Ticker - State of the Union Sunday Edition” at http://www.cnn.com/profile/

CNN Press Release - Michelle Jaconi, a 12-year veteran of NBC’s Meet the Press, will join CNN Worldwide as executive producer of State of the Union with John King, the network’s bold new Sunday block of programming that blends newsmaker interviews, political analysis, national and world affairs, cultural segments, media analysis and commentary.

“From the moment we conceived of State of the Union, we knew we had to find an executive producer who appreciated the special role of Sunday talk shows,” said Sam Feist, CNN’s political director and vice president of Washington-based programming. “Michelle, with her experience in landing and producing brilliant interviews, will help us leverage the resources of CNN’s political team and newsgathering operation to create a program unlike any other.”

“Michelle is a perfect fit for our team and our mission,” John King said. “Her deep experience in smart and aggressive Sunday morning television speaks for itself. And her passion for making things relevant to the people who matter most – the families and communities outside Washington – is what we’re looking for in this key leadership role.”

“Joining CNN and State of the Union at this moment in history is an extraordinary opportunity,” Jaconi said. “CNN is at the top of its game, and John is the best political reporter of his time. I’m honored to work with John and his team to reinvent Sunday morning news. It’s the right time, the right network and the right reporter. ”

Jaconi began working for Meet the Press, the longest-running television program in the world, in 1997, starting as an intern and working her way up to producer and political analyst. Over the past decade, she served as researcher, production associate and political and policy analyst for both Meet the Press and NBC’s Political and Polling Unit. She produced interviews with U.S. presidents and military leaders, foreign heads of state, numerous religious figures, as well as every candidate for president in the last two election cycles.

Jaconi served as a booker for NBC News Special Events with Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams, serving in that capacity for election nights and numerous award-winning broadcasts including the funeral of Ronald Reagan and the coverage of the Iraq war. She also helped produce NBC’s “Meet the Press Senate Debate Series,” which was a repeat winner of the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.

She earned a degree in international politics from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and later earned her master’s degree with honors distinction. While earning her master’s, she wrote for PoliticsNow.com, a Web site that was co-owned by the Washington Post, ABC News and the National Journal Group.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

CNN Press Release - Today on CNN’s Reliable Sources, host Howard Kurtz addresses Bernard Goldberg on-air regarding the cancellation of his appearance on the program. A transcript of Howard’s remarks are below and a framegrab is attached.

KURTZ: Before we go to break, author Bernard Goldberg was scheduled to appear on this program to talk about his new book on media bias – until Friday, when he abruptly canceled, without explanation, even though his people had approached us.

Now, I assume Bernie respects my work. His book, about the press supposedly being in the tank for Barack Obama, quotes me and my articles several times. There it is. He’s been out flogging the thing with Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Lou Dobbs – people who agree with him. Do you think, maybe, he doesn’t want to leave his pals and face some skeptical questioning? Come on, Bernie, we’ll have a good debate on this issue, one-on-one, without bias. You’re welcome here anytime.

Live from Washington, it's Late Edition, State Of The Union with John King.

Broadcasting from atop the Newseum in Washington D.C., the new Sunday morning political talk show debuted on CNN and CNN International this morning.

The first live interview was with David Axelrod, Senior Advisor to President-elect Obama, followed soon after with an exclusive interview with the incoming President.

CNN Press Release - CNN’s John King will travel to a manufacturing factory in Bedford Heights, Ohio, to interview President-elect Barack Obama for an exclusive interview before being sworn in as president on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

The interview will air during The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer on Friday, which airs 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (ET). King will question Obama on substantive issues that he will face in the first days of his administration, including the economy and national security. Obama will also discuss his relationship with President George W. Bush, share his thoughts on his family’s move to Washington and reflect on the historic nature of becoming the first African-American U.S. president.

John King is CNN’s chief national correspondent and the anchor of the new Sunday morning program State of the Union with John King, which debuts this weekend from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (ET).

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.