| Topic Name: |
Another Shakeup at CNN |
| Message Name: |
Not a Bad Idea |
| Date Posted: |
06/07/2005 |
| In Reply To: |
CNN is starting to resemble WCBS-TV in New York: as ratings tubmle, viewers are subjected to an never-ending game of musical anchors, changing schedules, and the continual purging of the best people at the network in favor of untested, unproven, or previously unsuccessful replacements.
For CNN to regain its credibility it needs a statement, a signature, if you will. Counter-programming FOX NEWS with news-lite shows with solo hosts who don't have
much personality is not working, nor will it ever.
Here's a radical idea: how about a show that becomes CNN's key program and serves as the nation's first evening news cast in prime time? If I were the powers that be, I'd take a hint from the first hour and a half of the TODAY show in the 1980s and put that on from say 8-10 PM each night? Yes, a 2 hour news program, the first hour and a half of which would be serious business, the last half hour of which would be populist programing.
Larry King is dying a slow and painful death at 9PM. Will CNN keep him on in that time slot with an oxygen machine someday, or is it time to realize that new idea is needed? Anderson Cooper's show should air at 10PM; the audience it needs isn't watching at 8PM. Paula Zahn's snoozefest should be trashed, but I'd consider making her the co-host of this new show. Unfortunately, a counterpart for her is not to be found among the current stock of CNN anchors. The network has had a lack of a visible lead anchor or anchor team since Bernard Shaw left. Aaron Brown has fizzled out and Wolf Blitzer, whom the network is putting a lot of faith in, will be more than a sidekick miscast as a lead anchor. The only potential candidate from within CNN for this job is Lou Dobbs.
The show ought to focus on breaking news, obviously, and extensively cover international, local, and political stories. Must contain interviews, not just news reading. It has to be hard news focused and fast paced.
No program illustrated the effectiveness of this model than the old TODAY show. It was once the finest broadcast on television. CNN ought to be as innovative as TODAY once was, and craft a warship of an prime time newscast that sets the tone for the network. With time, it could become appointment television, and return to CNN the credibility is so desperately needs.
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| Message: |
As I recall, CNN had a 2-hour, primetime newscast during the early 1980s. It wasn't a great newscast, but it was a welcome change of pace from the 30-minute "dinner hour" programs offered by the broadcast networks. I remember watching the CNN newscast on many nights when I came home from work late, after the network shows were over.
Today, I think a primetime newscast makes a lot of sense for CNN, for several reasons. First, it allows the network to showcase its reporters. I'm not a CNN fan, but their field reporters are generally stronger than FNC, and it plays to one of their real strengths.
Secondly, a live newscast at 8:00 pm plays to an actual "weakness" in the Fox line-up. If you'll notice, O'Reilly is usually on tape at that hour, and he's typically locked into some pet peeve or rant, and can't respond effectively to late-breaking news. And, with O'Reilly controlling the show's content, FNC is saddled with whatever Bill deems appropriate for that particular night. They may toss in a "news alert" 2-3 times an hour, but they can't really start covering the story until O'Reilly goes off the air.
Finally, the ratings gap between FNC and CNN tends to narrow during major news envents. A primetime newscast could help CNN narrow the gap even more, highlighting their reporting strength at a time when the competition is locked into talking head shows.
The Jon Klein "experiment" seems destined to die a quick death. After he cleans out his desk, perhaps someone at CNN will try something really radical, like a 2-hour primetime newscast.
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