Key Highlights
- CNN announces the premiere date for its new L.A.-based show “The Story Is” with anchor Elex Michaelson.
- The show will debut on October 27, 2025, at midnight eastern and run until 2 a.m. eastern.
- “The Story Is” will simulcast on CNN International, providing content to viewers in Europe and Asia.
- The show’s launch week includes guests like California Governor Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, Kevin Kiley, Adam Schiff, Gloria Allred, Areva Martin, Larry Elder, Jennifer Horn, Brian Tyler Cohen, Peter Hamby, and Melanie Mason.
New Evening News Program: “The Story Is” with Elex Michaelson
CNN is set to launch its new L.A.-based evening news program, “The Story Is,” with anchor Elex Michaelson. The show will make its debut on October 27, 2025, at midnight eastern time. This marks a significant move for the network as it seeks to deliver fresh content during an otherwise repetitive period in cable news programming.
“The Story Is” will air for two hours until 2 a.m. eastern time, corresponding to 9 p.m. Pacific time and 10 p.m. mountain time. This timeslot allows CNN to provide new content that caters to viewers in the west coast, filling a gap where most cable news networks are re-airing prime-time programs from earlier in the evening.
Key Features and Guests for Launch Week
The launch week of “The Story Is” promises an array of high-profile guests. California Governor Gavin Newsom will be Michaelson’s first guest, joining him on set to discuss redistricting ahead of a pivotal vote in November 2025. Other confirmed guests for the debut week include:
- Pete Buttigieg, former U.S.
Secretary of Transportation
- Kevin Kiley, Republican member of Congress (R-CA)
- Adam Schiff, Democratic senator from California
In addition, the show will feature live nightly panels and debates with a diverse group of voices. These include:
- Gloria Allred and Areva Martin, attorneys
- Larry Elder and Jennifer Horn, conservative talk radio hosts
- Brian Tyler Cohen, progressive podcast host
- Peter Hamby from Puck magazine and Melanie Mason from Politco
Michaelson asserts that “The Story Is” will bring together key figures from various political spectrums to have fair, respectful, and inclusive conversations. He states, “By going beyond the predictable talking points, The Story Is will become a surefire source for news that breaks through, often with hope, joy, and humor.” Michaelson is thrilled about bringing this show to viewers from Los Angeles.
Content and Coverage
Beyond politics, “The Story Is” aims to cover the biggest moving stories of the day across sports, health, technology, entertainment, and more. During its debut week, it will provide live coverage of Donald Trump’s multi-stop visit to Asia as well as the World Series in Los Angeles. Michaelson will also sit down with singer Josh Groban about the importance of funding arts education programs and travel with former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to support a program that trains ex-convicts to build custom cars.
Visual Identity
The visual identity of “The Story Is” reflects its L.A. broadcast location. The logo features the show title set in italic Proxima using faux small caps, with Michaelson’s name appearing in CNN Sans all caps beneath it. A dramatic nighttime scene of the L.A. skyline is featured prominently, with the iconic U.S.
Bank tower roughly in the middle. This background is colorized in blue, violet, red, orange, and golds, borrowing from the skyline’s palette.
The show’s look echoes many of CNN’s other primetime programming, often using nighttime views of cities both identifiable and more generic. “The Story Is” aims to provide a fresh perspective on current events and politics, catering to viewers who are looking for a new source of news in the evenings.
