Kathleen Parker Dropped from CNN's 'Parker Spitzer'

Parker Spitzer Loses Kathleen Parker

CNN has dropped conservative columnist Kathleen Parker from its struggling Parker Spitzer show. The show won't just be called Spitzer: the name will change to In the Arena. and will continue to be hosted by former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, who will be joined by E.D. Hill and Will Cain, along with a rotating lineup of panelists.

CNN's stab at opinion-based programming was not doing too well, and Joe Klein, CNN's former president and  the show's champion, was replaced by Len Jautz, who is not as big a fan of the Parker Spitzer format. The tipping point was most likely a spike in ratings during the period when Kathleen Parker was ill and Eliot Spitzer was hosting the show alone.

In the Arena has its own Twitter feed, which pretty much makes it official.

• CNN"s statement on Kathleen Parker leaving Parker Spitzer
• CNN Hires Eliot Spitzer

The public statements from CNN, Parker and Spitzer are quite chipper, but it has been widely understood that Eliot Spitzer and Kathleen Parker were battling for control of the show, and Spitzer won.