The election season is ending and cable television station CNN plans to replace the faces of political pundits with those of University students.
CNN producers will be on campus Thursday for a new program segment called “Ask CNN.” The show’s basic premise is that people ask questions — any questions — and CNN finds experts to answer them.
Dave Nuckolls, executive producer of the show, said the questions don’t have to be political. He said he hopes people tackle a variety of subjects, from entertainment to public policy.
“I want more than just political questions,” he said.
Nuckolls said the show will air in January, probably in 15-minute segments during CNN shows and on the station’s Web page. Right now, the plan is to rerun some of each week’s segments during the weekend as well.
Tim Gleason, dean of the journalism school, said Nuckolls contacted him via e-mail about two weeks ago in regard to filming at the University. Students, faculty and community members with burning questions can visit the journalism school in Allen Hall anytime between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday. The school is letting CNN use one of the television studios near the Aaron Lounge in the basement of Allen Hall.
“I’m going to ask why there’s an interstate highway in Hawaii,” said Warren Pease, an electronic media professor at the journalism school who is coordinating the filming. He said he expects thousands of people to come and ask questions.
But some people filmed will not end up on CNN. Nuckolls said he and his staff are traveling the world to get a cross-section of people ranging in age, geographic location and background.
He said he picked the University because CNN wanted to make sure the West Coast is represented on the show.