Fox Biz Network makes changes to morning schedule

Fox Business Network has named Stuart Varney as the lead anchor of its new morning business block as it jiggers its morning lineup in the wake of the departure last month of anchor Alexis Glick.

The new program, titled “Varney & Co.” will follow an expanded Imus in the Morning and begin at 9:20 a.m., running to 11 a.m. The show will cover the market open and feature interviews with Wall Street experts, key industry executives and policy makers.

Regular commentary and news reports will be provided by FBN’s Charles Payne, Chris Cotter, Tracy Byrnes and Sandra Smith while Nicole Petallides and Shibani Joshi will report live from the floor of the NASDAQ and NYSE. Varney & Co. replaces Glick’s “Opening Bell.”

Following Varney, Dagen McDowell and Brian Sullivan will co-anchor the 11 a.m. to noon slot and the 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. “Fox Business Block,” while Cheryl Casone will continue as anchor of the noon hour.

The remainder of the schedule will remain in place.

Varney joined Fox Business as an anchor in 2007 and has also served as business contributor and substitute host for Fox News Channel’s “Your World with Neil Cavuto.”

Since joining FNC’s business team in 2004, Varney has contributed to the network’s weekday and weekend business programming including “Your World,” “Bulls & Bears,” “Cavuto on Business” and “Cashin In.”

Prior to FNC, Varney served as the host of CNBC’s “Wall Street Journal Editorial Board with Stuart Varney” and before that, he was a co-anchor of CNN’s “Moneyline News Hour.”

Varney helped launch CNN’s business news team in 1980 and hosted many of its financial programs including “Your Money,” “Business Day” and “Business Asia.” His reporting and analysis of the stock market crash of 1987 helped earn CNN a Peabody Award for excellence in journalism.