'Entertainment Tonight' Names CNN Vet Rob Marciano as New Co-Anchor (Exclusive)
The former CNN news and weather reporter will assume the role opposite co-host Nancy O'Dell beginning in January.
Rob Marciano has been tapped as the permanent co-anchor of Entertainment Tonight. The CNN veteran will join co-host Nancy O’Dell beginning in January.
The move follows longtime co-host Mark Steines’ departure from the CBS Television Distribution’s top-rated syndicated newsmagazine during the summer. In recent months, the show occasionally has brought in recognizable faces, including The X Factor’s Steve Jones, to fill in.
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“I am honored to be joining the distinguished and talented team at Entertainment Tonight, all of whom are the gold standard in entertainment journalism,” Marciano said in a statement. “For over 30 years, ET has been a powerhouse in the entertainment industry, and to be part of that blue-chip franchise is a dream come true.”
ET executive producer Linda Bell Blue added: “Rob brings with him a passion for news, a wealth of knowledge about the entertainment industry and an enormous amount of charisma that viewers have been responding to for years. We know he will be an outstanding fit for our show, our audience and the immensely talented Nancy O’Dell.”
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Marciano comes to ET from the CNN News Group, where he has served since 2003 as a news and weather anchor, covering such stories as Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. He also has worked across the CNN Networks as a field correspondent and fill-in anchor and hosted specials including Rescue: Saving the Gulf. Prior to CNN, the Cornell grad served as a chief meteorologist in local markets after a brief stint as an equity sales trader in Manhattan.
The hire, which was brokered by Marciano's agent, Ken Lindner of Ken Lindner and Associates, comes as the 31-year-old entertainment news program continues to tweak its formula in an increasingly crowded landscape. Among the recent moves: an updated theme song mixed by Will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas.
Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com; Twitter: @LaceyVRose
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