Turner Broadcasting founder Ted Turner appeared on "CBS This Morning" Thursday and told Charlie Rose that he wishes CNN had “a little less fluff" these days.
Turner lost control of CNN when Time Warner merged with AOL in 2010, which, he reveals, is his biggest regret in business.
"I didn't think I was selling it, I got maneuvered out," Turner explained during the interview. "At Time Warner, I had ten percent of the stock after the merger. But when we merged with AOL, I was diluted down to three percent."
Turner added that the merger was one of the worst days of his life.
As for who should take over as president of the news network when Jim Walton steps down at the end of this year, the media mogul says "I don't know, there's no point in me speculating ... I don't have an influence over CNN anymore."
But as for how to boost the network's recent record-low ratings, Turner says "I'd like to see more hard news and international news."
3 comments:
Amen, Ted Turner, Amen!!! Thing is, CNN isn't listening. I hear all this talk about Zucker. Just another corporate stooge who will fill the airtime with stupid "documentaries" and reality tv crap that is cheap to make, and gets enough eyeballs to turn a profit. Fire Morgan, Burnett, and Cooper NOW and freakin' start over. Get some real people instead of these Barbie and Ken posers. Talk about news instead of your dumb cocktail party blather. CNN, the former leader in news, is driving people away!
If CNN in the United States wants to be on top again, CNN US needs to be replaced with CNN International. It's on top pretty much everywhere else in the world, so why not just have it in America too? In prime time USA hours, have Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper on. They already are simulcasted on CNN International anyway and they both are the lead anchors for major events like the election and debates, which are simulcasted with CNN International as well. CNN International is their main income anyway.
@9:13PM
I agree 100%.
But CNN needs to get rid of the terrible middle management - Parisa Khosravi, Ellana Lee, Katherine Green, Ken Jautz, Mark Whitaker and Tony Maddox.
Post a Comment