There have been some very interesting ideas for replacing Campbell Brown bouncing around the Internet. One has CNN hiring Eliot Spitzer and bringing back Crossfire. Another has Katie Couric taking over for Larry King when (and if) the CNN/CBS merger happens.
I also found a poll on polldaddy.com that listed these choices for what to do with Campbell's hour:
•Anderson Cooper Talk Show
•Late Edition with Katie Couric
•NewsNight with Eliot Spitzer
•Sanjay Gupta Live
•Jake Tapper Tonight
•Nancy Grace
•Crossfire with James Carville and Mary Matalin
•Another debate program with CNN contributors/analysts
•Ali Velshi Now
•David Shuster: No Bias, No Bull
•Rick's List
•None of the above
This morning Mediaite posted odds on some of the possible replacements:
• Crossfire-type show – 5:1 : A program like Crossfire would contradict some of what Klein has said in the past, but it’s a different time and as the election approaches, it could be a popular choice. While the masses of TV critics lent suggestions to the network recently, Crossfire kept coming up. This would also allow CNN to say it’s continuing its approach of representing both sides – in the way it show FNC and MSNBC do not. Some possibilities for the program could be Mary Matalin and James Carville, Roland Martin, Erick Erickson, Alex Castellanos, Gloria Borger, Donna Brazile and John Avlon. Side note – this choice is currently leading TVNewser’s poll.
• Current anchor, temporary – 10:1 : What if CNN puts in an anchor from another program with the promise it will just be through the November election. This allows a temporary solution – and the potential to completely revamp the line-up down the road. Possible anchors could be Rick Sanchez, John Roberts, Ali Velshi or Candy Crowley. But if this was for current anchor, permanent, the odds would leap up to 80:1. Don’t think that would happen at this point.
• Eliot Spitzer – 12:1 : This was floated by the Washington Examiner, and has been picked up elsewhere. It doesn’t sound likely – Spitzer is currently an MSNBC contributor – but it’s not getting shot down by CNN either. He’s a compelling selection, but is he really ready to anchor his own show? Maybe with another former GOP politician.
• Ed Henry – 15:1 : The White House correspondent was up for the Sunday show gig when John King left, so he could be slotted in for a D.C.-based show. This could be a temporary show as well, like above.
• Two major bomb-throwers – 16:1 : Similar to the Crossfire suggestion, but further. Like Crossfire on steroids. Think Ann Coulter paired with Michael Moore. Oh, you wouldn’t watch that?
• Alexis Glick – 24:1 : We’ve heard the name floated before, and the former FBN anchor and exec has shown up a few times on CNN since she’s left FOX. If she is picked, she could be paired with someone else as well, and you could theoretically make the hour business-focused. Does it draw the viewers though?
• Anderson Cooper – 35:1 : A suggestion of Glynnis MacNicol’s, this would put Cooper in the driver’s seat of CNN prime time. It could be interesting, but then re-opens another prime time hour. CNN could go the MSNBC route and replay Cooper at 10pmET, but that would most certainly look like a band-aid solution (or lack thereof).
• An HLN host – 36:1 : It would go against the grain – and against the mission statement recently of CNN. But couldn’t Nancy Grace or Joy Behar provide a spark the network needs in the prime time hour?
• Bill Maher – 60:1 : My pick – but certainly a longshot. He was great recently with Cooper, but it would cost CNN a lot to woo him from his cushy, and uncensored, home on HBO Friday nights.
• David Shuster – 75:1 : He’s already been in the building – and has felt the effects of the move at his current home, MSNBC. We haven’t heard this is a possibility, plus it would present more complications, like a buyout.
Personally I'd like to see CNN give Wolf Blitzer back his third hour of The Situation Room that earlier this year was whacked to give Rick Sanchez a regular slot. Or maybe bring back Aaron Brown.....of course I realize that that will never happen with Jon Klein at the helm of CNN, but that's a discussion for another day. Time will tell, but if you have a scenario for shaking up CNN's evening lineup we'd love to hear it.
The best thing CNN could do is to have an
ReplyDeleteanchorless hour and make it look like you
are getting your news from CNN.com.
Basically bring the world to you just like
the Ipad puts the world in you hands.
None of these ideas will work, people are
just not watching CNN at 8. Have a now
playing banner at the bottom in place of
the crawl and have the tabs with the title
of the story. The storying that is being
featured is highlighted and a cursor
clicks the stories as they are about to air.
CNN has to something dramatically
different than the others. CNN will
not get competitive by doing the same
thing as the others. That is their problem.
CNN tried to be like FNC and their viewers
turned away.
This poll originally appeared on TVN last week. I don't know who put the list together but you can forget Bill Maher and he looked silly sitting in front of Cooper. Bill wasn't funny and Cooper asked him obvious questions with little depth.
ReplyDeleteThey NEED a woman. My guess is on Nancy Grace or Joy Behar because they also NEED a following, an already built up audience to combat Bill O'Reilly or even come close. No one else on that list could do this.
Eliot Spitzer needs to run for Governor of NY again after the idiot who is now there. Could he beat Cuomo is the question, but he's smart and he'd be a real waste sitting in as talk show host when he can run a State. His wife forgave him...that's the end of the story.
@ 8:01: I have never heard of an anchorless program. Is the viewer supposed to stare at a blank screen? The cursor clicks the story? Why don't I find that at all appealing? Personally I'd rather force myself to watch Lou Dobbs.
ReplyDeleteI find it funny that if you add the totals
ReplyDeletefor none and other it leads the pack.
Is this the best that TV Newser can come
up with.CNN already has too many pundits.
CNN tried a panel show with Roland Martin
before and it did not work. The problem with
panels is that they take up too much time
and the news gets lost in it all.CNN has to
be real careful here since they have already
alienated their viewers.360 Friday was much
better the second time around with one
exception. Can we get a CNN reporter who
has been covering the news story that is the
topic of discussion instead of a pundit ?
David Mattingly is right in the middle
of it all.Or even someone from NatGeo
who released new video of the explosion
this week.Brinkley was fine since he
has in depth knowledge of the topic but
CNN could use the show to highlight
some of their journalists.If the cameras
capture great video let's see it.Go to
your people on the scene. 360 was spot
on with the cheating segment. The test
gets you attention and makes you think
and you could even go to the blog and
participate.I say keep this show on just
on Friday to give people something
different going into the weekend.
I think CNN needs to record the show
on Friday instead of Thursday,I liked
Candy and all of the guests. The whiz
kid was a nice touch.If it can bring in
people who would never watch a news
channel that is not a bad thing.It will
be interesting to see if it actually goes
up in the ratings this week. This could
turn into something good for CNN.
Just highlight some of the best clips
you can see if you watch CNN a little
more.
I say female journalists. Nancy Grace will
ReplyDeletenever be on CNN.I can tell you that from
sure. Joy does not work either. CNN has
numerous female journalists who they
need to consider. An hour of crime is
not worthy of being lead show on CNN
in prime time. What happens if there is
breaking news. It would be a mistake for
CNN to go with any of these choices. Go
with the female journalists at CNN.
Nancy and Joy are not bringing in good
numbers for HLN.
One thing CNN needs to do right now is to quit
ReplyDeleteit with follow me on Twitter or Facebook. Focus
more on the news. Maybe if they would remember
the news and forget self promotion they would
do much better. That is exactly is what makes
me not want to follow individuals on social
media.
Also, quit telling me how I am gong to feel about
a story. The intros alone will make you turn away
from CNN right away.I don't need CNN to shape
the news stories I will see on the network. Just
present it to me. Hello I have a brain.
@10:02PM: Glad you liked Friday's version of 360. It will be interesting to see what the ratings are since there's almost an entire BLOG that hated it and said "ditch it. Either AC wants to waste his time or CNN wants to waste his time, or there's nothing else to watch, so let's all watch someone who should be in the field, playing "Let's Waste Our Time."
ReplyDeleteThere are times when I think anchors are a lot like hair stylists in salons. I recently saw a sign in a beauty salon window saying Hair Stylist Needed: Must Have Following.
ReplyDeleteI really think whoever winds up in the 8PM slot has to have a built in following. Someone who will bring in the numbers and someone who people will follow from one network to another. That's the tricky part. People don't like change...even changing channels.
An anchor free newscast is simple.It is news
ReplyDeleteat break neck speed and tons of information.
It is a weaving together of news, live shots &
interesting items put together by a team of
producers/writers. Say you open the program
with Revolution from the Beatles. The words
it is time to experience a new(s) revolution to
get you hip to what is happening. Next the
words are you ready? Each night you change
the song, another can be All the Young Dudes.
Say the lead story is the Gulf oil spill go live
right off the bat to the on scene reporter.
They introduce themselves and brings you
the latest real time reporting.If it is a package
filed by a reporter, you use photos of them
out in the field working on the story and
you have them voice over this is blank.
Going to break have the words more news
for you and in 15-20 seconds have stories
accompanied by video or photos the a 2
line sentence, full screen of course if there
is not any video/pic a short story on the
screen. You basically take all of the video,
photos,sound and music or some other
creative method to put together news
stories. The screen is never blank because
the hour is time for you to get your news
on. The goal is to at least have 25 stories
or more in an hour. Another example
would President Obama at West Point.
You use the video and the sound of
the introduction. Use a transition to
slide in a fact board that says did you
know and name the 1st president who
started the tradition. Next clips from
the speech. Next the tossing of the hats.
Ending with a board with facts about
the graduating class. The reporters and
photographers are also involved because
without them you would have a blank
screen. Any interview would be done
live on the scene.I think that is as different
as you get for the hour. Everybody likes
information but they might not like the
anchor.
@10:03am Interesting, but one thing is clear. You have NOT taken into account CNN's over all demographics, which is NOT hip.
ReplyDeleteP.S. someone reminded me that I forgot about
ReplyDeletethe editors when it comes to putting together
any show. The editors give the video flow and
style. Every movie, show,etc that you will ever
see needs someone to edit video and sound all
into one finished product. You can also use
Skype or an I-phone for live shots so that it
ends up costing you nothing. There is a lot
more to go into but that would take an entire
thesis that is way too long to type out, Yes it
is experimental but worth a try to see if it
can gain a following on television, dvrs and
the internet. After the show airs live on CNN
make it available for downloads. You can
download the entire show or a segment
that caught your attention.