When Katie Pavlich launches her new show Monday night at 10pm on NewsNation, she’ll be up against a unique competitor: the man who gave her her start in television.
Previously, Pavlich, then working at the conservative site Townhall.com, was networking at the annual CPAC conference when he spotted Fox News Channel host Greg Gutfeld and several colleagues. As she approached to meet him in the crowded room, she overheard his group getting ready to leave as she had difficulty getting the bartender’s attention. Pavlich saw an opportunity and vowed to serve beer to the group. As a result, she was invited to appear on the early morning show Red Eye, which Gutfeld hosted from 2007 to 2015.
She will now compete for viewers while Mr. Gutfeld hosts his eponymous show on Fox News Channel.
“I’m running my own race,” Pavlic said in a recent interview, adding, “I’m going to put on the best show I can every night.”
Mr. Pavlich’s viewership is unlikely to match Mr. Gutfeld’s, as Fox News has the largest audience in cable news, but NewsNation, owned by Nexstar Maida, is working to remain competitive. The station overhauled its nightly lineup, moving legal analyst and former attorney Jesse Weber to the 11 p.m. slot, before creating a 10 p.m. slot based on Mr. Pavlich’s input. The rescheduling means News Nation is offering time more squarely targeted to viewers who identify as liberal or conservative. Chris Cuomo tends to be a favorite among the blue-state crowd, but he also shows some maverick talent and continues to anchor at 8 p.m.
“NewsNation is a place where everyone is welcome…but it also comes with challenges. That’s why we’re growing and that’s what my show is all about,” Cuomo said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how Katie and Jesse fit into the mix.” On Tuesday, Pavlich plans to add something important: an interview with President Donald Trump.
Executives hope the new anchor can bring in new audiences. NewsNation’s viewership increased in 2025, but its ratings are small compared to more established rivals like Fox News, MS NOW, and CNN. In 2025, News Nation averaged 108,000 viewers in prime time and 13,000 viewers between the ages of 25 and 54, the most coveted demographic for news advertisers.
While Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Pavlich are sincerely catering to specific audiences, Mr. Weber says he wants to be the watchdog of the news. Although 11 p.m. is often seen as the end of the day, “the news doesn’t slow down at that time,” Weber said in a recent interview. “Some things are increasing. Breaking news, international news. There’s an appetite for that,” Weber says. “We want to break down the big stories of the day and help viewers plan for the day.”
With the debut of a new nightly lineup, NewsNation appears to be pivoting to specific audience needs rather than trying to deliver similar hours in the evening. Nexstar launched the network based on the cable network formerly known as WGN America. This was a product of the era when “superstations” like Ted Turner’s TBS served as national broadcasters via cable. Nexstar’s core leverages news aggregation from dozens of stations across the country, eliminating syndicated fares that come with hefty licensing fees.
Both Mr. Pavlich and Mr. Weber may not have established themselves as regular hosts with NewsNation viewers, but they have already developed their own followings. Weber will continue to work on “Law & Crime” and appear on HLN, and has followed true crime and legal cases for several media outlets. Mr. Pavlich was a longtime contributor to Fox News, appearing on Fox Nation’s streaming service “The Five” and other programs.
Weber believes the slow hours give him permission to explore. “We’re going to experiment and try some different things. We really want to stay on top of what people are interested in and what people are feeling on social media,” he says, vowing to give viewers a chance to understand all sides of the story without “pitfalls.”
Pavlich says she’s also concerned about connecting with a wider range of people. “I love America, and I love my country unashamedly,” she says, but expects to present a different perspective on the topic of the day. “We want to have a civil, heart-to-heart discussion that isn’t boring,” she added. “I think there’s a difference between combat and a heated disagreement.”
