Ali Velshi Joining Al Jazeera America As Host

Ali Velshi Joining Al Jazeera America
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 20: (L-R) Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone of the National Academy of Sciences, Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action, Ali Velshi of CNN, and Louise Blouin, CEO & Chairman of Louise Blouin Media attend The Louise Blouin Foundation Presents The Sixth Annual Blouin Creative Leadership Summit - Day 2 at the Metropolitan Club on September 20, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Thos Robinson/Getty Images for The Louise Blouin Foundation)
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 20: (L-R) Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone of the National Academy of Sciences, Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action, Ali Velshi of CNN, and Louise Blouin, CEO & Chairman of Louise Blouin Media attend The Louise Blouin Foundation Presents The Sixth Annual Blouin Creative Leadership Summit - Day 2 at the Metropolitan Club on September 20, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Thos Robinson/Getty Images for The Louise Blouin Foundation)

Ali Velshi is getting a primetime business program on Al Jazeera America, the network announced on Thursday.

"The as yet-to-be named 30-minute magazine-style program will initially launch in a weekly format but is expected to move to a five-days-a-week schedule by year’s end," the network said in a statement.

The host's last day at CNN will be Friday. News of his departure broke on Wednesday. At the time, he said that he was leaving to pursue a project "he couldn’t pass up."

Velshi said in a statement that he was "thrilled" to join Al Jazeera America. “It’s a tremendous opportunity and I look forward to taking advantage of the extraordinary U.S. news-gathering capabilities the channel is building and working with such a diverse and talented group of colleagues to tell compelling stories that matter to Americans," he said.

Al Jazeera bought Current TV earlier this year, and will replace Current's programming with Al Jazeera America. The planned network, which will launch this summer, has been busy building its staff and searching for talent.

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