WASHINGTON - December 16 - Media Matters for America applauds CNN's official announcement today that it will not renew its contract with controversial syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak after 25 years of serving as a CNN commentator and program host.

Novak's contract with CNN was reportedly set to expire in early 2006, but he has not appeared on the channel since August 2005 after being suspended for uttering an obscenity and storming off the set. On December 7th, Media Matters delivered nearly 5,000 letters from concerned viewers to CNN's Washington Bureau urging them not to renew Novak's contract.

"We applaud CNN for taking the appropriate step of not renewing Robert Novak's contract," said David Brock, president and CEO of Media Matters for America. "CNN's overall news programming will benefit from not having a commentator known to spread conservative misinformation to the American public."

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