E! News canceled after 29 years on air
(CNN) — Here’s another casualty of Covid-19: E! News
The entertainment news show, launched in 1991, was canceled in response to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, a representative for NBC Universal confirmed with CNN Business in an email.
In addition, E!’s seven-month-old celebrity news shows, “Pop of the Morning” and “In the Room,” a celebrity interview series hosted by Jason Kennedy, were also shelved.
The show’s demise is part of the long list of changes being implemented at E! News’ parent company, NBC Universal. On Tuesday, the company announced that it is planning on cutting its staff in response to the economic hardship brought on by the pandemic.
Although the namesake show will no longer be on air, the E! News network shows “Daily Pop” and “Nightly Pop” will still be filmed and aired out of LA, and E!’s website and social media accounts will still be active.
E! News faced criticism in December 2017 when Catt Sadler, who hosted E! News then “Daily Pop,” opened up about the show’s pay disparity.
“He wasn’t just making a little more than I was. In fact, he was making close to double my salary for the past several years,” Sadler wrote in a blog post referring to Jason Kennedy, her co-host of many years. She then resigned from her role
Lilliana Vazquez, the current E! News and “Pop of the Morning” host, shared her thoughts on Instagram, saying, “Thankful for this incredible adventure and I will miss this team and crew beyond belief. Yes…even the 4am call time.”
Her co-host, Scott Tweedie, hasn’t shared anything about the news on his social media accounts.