NewsNation Launching Two New Weeknight Programs

NewsNation, Nexstar Media Inc.’s wholly-owned cable network reaching 75 million U.S. television households, today announced two new programs to premiere July 19: On Balance with Leland Vittert at 8 p.m. ET and NewsNation: Rush Hour with Nichole Berlie at 6 p.m. ET.

On Balance, the network says, “promises to be unpredictable, engaging, intelligent, thought-provoking, and visually compelling,” with Vittert taking a critical look at some of the day’s hottest topics.

Anchored by Berlie, Rush Hour is the new name for NewsNation Early Edition, and it will be dedicated to breaking news “utilizing the full power of Nexstar’s nationwide network of 5,600 journalists.”

“No one else has instant access to as many newsrooms as we have in the Nexstar family of stations,” said Michael Corn, president of News for NewsNation. “Rush Hour and On Balance emphasize our commitment to building a unique, one-of a kind news network that is independent, respects its viewers, and remains dedicated to keeping them engaged, with just a little bit of unpredictability thrown in for good measure.”

Leland Vittert joined NewsNation in May as anchor/correspondent and has been covering national affairs and delivering special reports for the network on a variety of subjects, including the recent Biden-Putin Summit in Geneva, Switzerland. His June 2 interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci on NewsNation generated exceptional buzz on social media platforms and in mainstream media outlets when Dr. Fauci said that his emails “…were really ripe to be taken out of context.”

Vittert was a veteran foreign correspondent based in Jerusalem for Fox News and started his work in the Middle East by covering the events of the uprising in Egypt that became known as the “Arab Spring.” In 2011, he was one of the few reporters to broadcast live from Cairo’s Tahrir Square on the night that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak relinquished power.

Vittert then covered the subsequent revolution in Libya, where he reported on Muammar Gaddafi’s counterattack on citizens. Before moving to Washington, D.C., in 2014, he spent a month in Eastern Ukraine as Russian-backed militias took over parts of the country. From 2015 to 2021, Vittert anchored FNC’s America’s News Headquarters, a weekend afternoon newscast.

“On Balance will ask ‘why?’ on the most pressing matters of the day without fear or favor,” Vittert said. “We also believe, sometimes, two opposing views can both be true at once. We will always respect the intelligence of our viewers and promise them an intellectual, sometimes fun and appropriately irreverent program with a balanced a point of view.”

Nichole Berlie joined NewsNation in September of 2020 from WCVB (ABC) in Boston, where she was weekend news anchor. On March 1, 2021, she began anchoring NewsNation Early Edition with Nichole Berlie.

“I’m energized by the promise of this new no fluff, no filler, newscast,” Berlie said. “Our live capabilities and news resources across the country are unmatched by any other broadcaster. We’re primed to deliver the fastest-paced action-packed news hour on TV.”