A day after having a Republican debate thrown into the mix, normalcy returned, somewhat, to the cable news ratings, with CNN falling back on its pre-debate numbers and FOX regaining a stranglehold on the top spot. There was, however, some notable movement buried in the ratings.

During CNN’s pre-debate coverage, Erin Burnett was audibly drowned out Occupy Vegas protestors that shouted down her commentary by chanting “Banks got bailed out! We got sold out!”

CNN’s Erin Burnett sat down with GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain on her show, where the two engaged in the requisite discussion on Cain’s 9-9-9 plan and, of course, whether he is “the flavor of the month” or here to stay. He insists, of course, on the latter. “I am for real,” he told Burnett. “This is Herman Cain. They will know that I am in this to win it. I am not in this to try and raise my profile or get a TV show.”

On her show this evening, CNN’s Erin Burnett and her guest, Newsweek/Daily Beast columnist John Avalon, discussed GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain’s “momentum” as he continues his campaign.

The two circled back to Burnett’s interview with Cain, during which he shared that he only has “several hundred thousand dollars” at his disposal.

Young Turks host Cenk Uygur, soon to join CurrentTV as Keith Olbermann‘s lead-in, lit into freshly-minted CNN OutFront host Erin Burnett over what he saw as a smug, fact-challenged segment ridiculing the Occupy Wall Street protest. Uygur delivered a blistering critique of Burnett on The Young Turks this week. When I asked him about the media’s coverage of the protests, he had praise for some, but slammed Fox News, and called much of the mainstream media’s reporting on this “abhorrent.”

When Erin Burnett said she’d be traveling far and wide to find her stories during promos for her new show OutFront, she wasn’t joking. Burnett’s debut this evening took her to Pakistan and China and sat her down with both Secretary of Defense Leon Pannetta (on national security) and Donald Trump (on Amanda Knox?). But it was her foray to the Occupy Wall Street protests where the show found its voice: going to where the news is, trying to get answers from newsmakers, and fighting misconceptions.

Piers Morgan stopped by the set of his CNN colleague (and former Celebrity Apprentice guest) Erin Burnett‘s new show to wish her… well. “Total, abject failure.” In the nicest way possible, of course. Burnett, you see, had tried to get Morgan fired from the reality show competition by telling host Donald Trump that he was, as Morgan joked, a “repulsive human being.” “You and Jim Kramer. Stuck the knife straight in my back,” he continued. “So I’ve just come to wish you total, abject failure.”

The premiere of CNN’s new show Erin Burnett: OutFront is only a few days away and one of the big dogs at the network, Wolf Blitzer, has recorded a video message for his new colleague. In it, Blitzer tells Burnett just what someone would want to hear right before starting a new job; namely that she’s not going to ever leave the office.

How fun!

Ron Suskind‘s new book Confidence Men has been making waves for its unflattering portrayal of an Obama White House replete with sexism and incompetence. Now, Suskind himself is in the spotlight… along with CNN’s Erin Burnett and a singer from Detroit. Sit back, grab a box of Jujubes, give us some, and then allow us to explain the strange, sad saga of Erin Burkett….

Details have finally emerged about Erin Burnett‘s new CNN show, revealed just now via the former CNBC hosts twitter feed. Burnett tweeted out a link to a 10 second promotional video that announces the title of her new show, OutFront, also revealing a gritty-but-cool-yet-still-accessible graphics package and soundtrack that befits the new CNN program for 7PM. No specific debut date was announced, though her tweet did say “in September.”

In an interview with Adweek‘s Brian Braiker, CNN managing editor Mark Whitaker describes his vision for the future of the news network. Simply put, it’s not just about breaking news, but it will probably look a lot like Anderson Cooper. “I think we’re in a day and age when you can have all the qualities of a great journalist but have a human side as well, and even a sense of humor. In many ways Anderson Cooper is the model that we increasingly are going to, not that everyone has to be Anderson Cooper.”

The former CNBC anchor Erin Burnett made her debut on CNN last night, appearing with Wolf Blitzer in the hour leading up to President Obama‘s speech to the nation on the debt ceiling impasse. After a welcome to “CNN’s newest anchor” (Burnett’s as yet untitled show will premiere in the 7 p.m. timeslot in September), Burnett got right down to breaking some news. Asked about the differences between plans advanced by Democrats and Republicans, Burnett said “in the short term, either deal probably will be enough, although really interesting this afternoon, Wolf, when I was talking to an investor who had met with the ratings agency Standard & Poor’s, talking about the potential of a downgrade– which, by the way, could raise interest rates, just the same way a potential default could–and they said the Boehner plan probably wouldn’t hit the hurdle to prevent a downgrade.”

Usually when a business news network busts out the six-box, that means a lot of analysts on the screen at once, talking about some super scary financial news. Today, well, it was about Carl Quintanilla‘s dreamy haircut–and his new job. Starting today, Quintanilla and Melissa Lee take over hosting duties on the network’s Squawk on the Street, filling chairs left empty by the death of Mark Haines and departure of Erin Burnett, whose new CNN show is slated to debut in late September.

At CNN, “outspoken” is out, and reporting is in. The network unveiled a new lineup Wednesday that will debut in the fall, moving Anderson Cooper to 8 p.m., bumping Eliot Spitzer and bringing in Erin Burnett. “The overall lineup is meant to underscore CNN’s commitment to quality journalism,” said CNN executive vice president Ken Jautz in an interview with Mediaite. In each hour of the new lineup, Jautz says, CNN will offer “first rate reporting” and a “wide range of opinions.”

Well whispers of Eliot Spitzer‘s demise as host of the 8pm show In the Arena have now been confirmed: CNN has officially cancelled the 8pm show while announcing a new prime time lineup in its place. Spitzer’s spot will be replaced by Anderson Cooper‘s AC 360 at 8pm, and his re-air will now move to 10pm. Also, Erin Burnett‘s new and yet-unnamed-program will move in to the 7pm slot, replacing John King USA which will now air at 6pm. Piers Morgan Tonight holds steady at 9pm. Press release after the jump.

With the announcement last week that long time MSNBC star Norah O’Donnell is jumping ship to CBS, many insiders are now asking what is going on over at the Peacock network? On air talent jumping between networks is nothing new but the sheer number of recent defectors both on air and off from NBC News and CNBC has to make you wonder whether there is something bigger at play here.

Kirsten Powers, a New York Postcolumnist and former flame of Rep. Anthony Weiner has a suggestion for the scandal-tarnished politico’s next job: “a show at CNN, maybe?” In an interview on Fox News, Powers argued Weiner’s “very good on television…he’s very smart” and then she delivered the backhand to Fox’s cable news rival: “CNN has shown they don’t have any problem with people who have had sex scandals have shows,” an obvious reference to CNN’s Eliot Spitzer.

CNN’s new Erin Burnett show may not have a name or a start date, but it’s got an executive producer. CNN executive vice president Ken Jautz made the announcement this morning that Wilson Surratt will begin work on the show effective immediately. “Wil has spent 17 years in newsrooms, control rooms and in the field and he is one of the most inventive and accomplished producers in the television news business,” said Jautz. “We are delighted that he is returning to the CNN family.”

Is John King a “dead man walking” at CNN? The New York Post seems to think so. In a series of short blurbs over the last few months–the most recent just today–the News Corp.-owned paper has at times hinted, and at other times flat-out reported that King was losing his signature 7 p.m. show. “We hear that CNN development execs are creating a daily news show for her to air from New York at 7 p.m., a switch from business to breaking news,” reads the PAGE SIX story. “Burnett’s show launches in June and will replace John King USA.”

This morning, Squawk on the Street‘s Erin Burnett bid adieu to her CNBC viewers and there was likely not a dry eye in the studio as the business news vet was given a heartfelt send-off by her longtime co-host, Mark Haines. Next month sees Burnett moving on to CNN, where she’ll appear in a yet-unannounced timeslot. “Coming to work for the last 5 1/2 years,” said Haines, holding onto Burnett’s hand, “has been an absolute joy. You are the best. The absolute best. We wish you the best of luck. We’re going to miss you a lot.”

CNN president Jim Walton has announced the hiring of CNBC’s Erin Burnett as anchor and chief business and economics correspondent. She joins the network in June. “Erin Burnett is a talented journalist and her perspective will add meaningfully to CNN’s coverage of the top national and international news stories we cover each day,” said Walton in a statement. “Erin is the kind of all-star player that knows how to connect-the-dots and translate events into relevant information for viewers.”

Human beings are strange, unique creatures whose reactions to tragedy can be unpredictable.The same can also be said of CNBC host Larry Kudlow, who waxed optimistic about the catastrophic earthquake/tsunami in Japan on Friday’s edition of The Call. Even as horrific scenes of devastation unfolded in the aftermath of Japan’s 8.9 earthquake and 23-foot tsunami, Kudlow found the silver lining: no markets were harmed in the making of this disaster.

CBS anchor Katie Couric shared a photo with her Twitter followers overnight–a shot of Couric sitting in the airport in Munich, Germany and clearly wishing she had gotten to Egypt sooner. The networks went into scramble mode over the weekend, airlifting star anchors from New York to Cairo, but Couric was stuck on a shoot in Miami. As NBC’s Brian Williams fronted Nightly News from overseas Monday, St. Pete Times TV critic Eric Deggans observed “Just saw paparazzi pics of CBS’s Katie Couric chilling in Miami Sunday just before clicking to Brian Williams & Lester Holt in Cairo today.”

In an unforgettable train wreck segment on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, a distracted Erin Burnett, who appears to have just come from a Christmas gift exchange, explains that the gift she received from her CNBC co-host Mark Haines was a bra that doubles as a gas mask. And then she puts the bra on her face to demonstrate how it doubles as a gas mask. No, you can’t make this stuff up. Watch the (hysterical) video below.

Dude. There wasn’t much “Business Before The Bell” this morning during Erin Burnett‘s usual segment on Morning Joe Instead, there was something…else.

I wish I could explain what took place, but instead I just felt like the sober guy at the party.