James Earl Jones is back to intoning "This is CNN" for the cable news channel after a long absence.
The Oscar-nominee and voice of Darth Vader was a mainstay of the network for years, but his voice hasn't been used between commercial interruptions for awhile. It will once again be a staple of CNN thanks to Jeff Zucker.
Brian Stelter reported in the New York Times on Tuesday that the new CNN Worldwide chief told the marketing department that it was time to use Jones' baritone as a signpost again. A spokeswoman for the network confirmed that Jones' voice had been relicensed to TheWrap.
Zucker's first official day at work was Monday, which happened to coincide with the presidential inauguration and once again featured Jones' tagline.
CNN has struggled in the ratings in recent years, with its apolitical coverage lagging behind more partisan rivals like MSNBC and Fox News. Ironically, Jones represents that exodus in viewers.
In an interview with Tavis Smiley last summer, Jones admitted that he tends to get his news from the left-leaning MSNBC, but does sample some news organizations on the other end of the political spectrum.
"I’m always on MSNBC," Jones said. "I can’t get enough of it. I even venture into the right wing talk shows sometimes."
One news organization that didn't make Jones' cut, however, was CNN. Maybe that will change now that he's back in the fold.
