Mediaite pointed out: Ed Schultz‘s The Ed Show put up some impressive numbers Thursday, topping both CNN and HLN combined in the demo and total viewers. Schultz averaged 230,000 demo viewers, which was more than Anderson Cooper and Nancy Grace‘s respective programs put together. Schultz has been a tour-de-force at the network with his steadily strong 8pm slot ratings performance for MSNBC over the past couple of months.
We know you've noticed the decline in CNN's numbers. Our question? Can CNN hold on until the conventions and the elections give them a ratings bump or will changes come before November?
Here's an idea : brand new show at 7 PM called
ReplyDeleteThe Download. This will be the most jam packed
news session on the planet. All the news you can
fit into six O as in 60 minutes. ALL day long
offer up video montages on the news of the day
that can be seen at 7. Tease trailers that can
go viral and direct you to go to CNN for the
show. Social Media offers free advertising. Also,
run the news trailers on CNN.
This show can begin on April 30, 2012. Go with
Isha Sesay. Viewers have seen her anchor breaking
news on 360. She has an anchor presence so it
is not a stretch to see her anchoring news on CNN.
The theme song will be Headlines by Drake.
Music will be used to transition from story to
story but used effectively to help tell the story.
Different songs can be used each day. Only
the theme song is the same.
It's news and interesting topics. Video and
sound are edited together for a unique news
experience. The graphics will load into a
media player that is full screen. A simple 5
second graphic with a Siri type voice saying
some words liked Secret Service under the
visual graphic that you will see load video
and voice will match. You will see the words
on the graphic. Every graphic and piece of
video goes through the media player. It is
visual and draws you in. Fast paced.
In and out of breaks offer more news, Pick
a song like Young Dudes and others. Some
of the time you could use a reporter's voice.
For example, after the computerized voice
would say the words Secret Service you
would get a short audio hit saying 6 agents
have resigned. Isha would say that's the number
of agents out of a job in the wake of the
Colombia escort fiasco. These can be pre
produced and edited to run during the show.
Sometimes it can be 1 story like the plane
crash in Pakistan. Other times it can be
words, photos or video.
Don't know how long it would take but maybe
it could be brought out in phases. Don't know
who many graphic artists. Digital producers or
editors that CNN has. The show will have to be
edited all day long.
NO talking heads or pundits. Just the news.
Don't know how soon CNN could get a new
women's show at 6 PM. Try to get Betty Nguyen.
Make it like the Talk not the View. The show
would be Betty and other female journalists
going through some topics and interesting
items you might not have heard about all day.
It should be an ethnically diverse group of
women. Also, they can be single, married ,
moms or not. No 2 women are the same.
All of the women don't have to work for CNN
but the have to be legit journalists and writers
for women's magazines. Keep it smart. Also,
no pundits or bickering.
For the AM go with a new show called 180
minutes. News, guests what's trending , what
is happening in real time. 6-9 AM.
These are ways for viewers to see that CNN is
changing. It will play out visibly. Yes hire the
people at CBC. They know TV and have done
shows on CBC. Obviously, they could do these
shows on CNN rather quickly. Connect With
Mark Kelley & Strombo could come to CNN
by August 2012.
At the same time CNN should be working on
a brand new lineup that will launch August
2012. There is no guarantee viewers will
come to CNN for this year's campaign. Look
at how quickly viewers lost interest in the
GOP primaries. Will they go to CNN or MSNBC's
for the conventions and election night ?
Unfortunately, for CNN they betted on pundits.
ReplyDeleteThey have taken over the news and become the
faces of CNN. Every hour of the day CNN has on
pundits. It is like watching Crossfire over and
over again. CNN will have to develop a different
style but I don't think they get it. Elliot Spitzer
had better ratings than Out Front. 1 day does
not indicate a trend. However, it is a low point
for CNN. Clearly, there is something viewers
don't like about CNN.
CNN needs to be completely re-launched.
ReplyDeleteThe Situation Room should be the lead in for the 8PM hour. At one time for a few months, the show aired for 3 hours from 5PM-8PM. That's how it should be! I don't think a single show at 6PM or 7PM would improve the time slot ratings, it would be best to have a show beginning at 5PM connect until 8PM to keep viewers. I'm serious. I'm sorry but John King USA and Erin Burnett Outfront are absolutely boring and not great. They should both be cancelled once the conventions are over in September. On Friday September 7th (the day after the conventions end), CNN will unveil a brand new studio in Washington DC that will serve home for The Situation Room and State of the Union as well as the new home for the CNN Election Center. Politics will be huge in the news from September 7th until Election Day November 6th. It will be a PERFECT TIME to have John King and Erin Burnett's shows cancelled and move The Situation Room to 5PM-8PM. Erin Burnett should be let go from CNN, and have John King appear throughout the day with the Magic Wall. That's his shining moment. Not an hour broadcast.
ReplyDeleteMemo to CNN : Please give us back the original
ReplyDelete360. Originally, 360 struck a chord with viewers.
It was different and filled with news and cool music.
Now it is too much of a yelling fest. Once upon a
time we got stories that others failed to cover on
cable news. Sadly, it has become a tired typical
news show. The fussing during the Zimmerman
story was pathetic and unprofessional. I thought
I was watching Nancy Grace so I turned from CNN.
I might just become a former 360 viewer now that
Rachel Maddow is around. She keeps her show
classy and does not subject viewers to useless
mindless chatter. In fact 360 used to be more
like Rachel Maddow.
Good for Jennifer Granholm's list of favorite jounalists, such as Christianne Amanpour and the late Tim Russet and Rachel Maddow.
ReplyDeleteGive this lady three cheers, no four, for not listing Anderson Cooper, or anyone from CNN for that matter.
You can tell she has discerning taste and doesn't follow the crowd, in her interview with TVN.
Oh, I forgot. Christianne is back with CNN, but she was with ABC, so I'll have to give her a pass.
Thanks anyway Jenn.
"In fact 360 used to be more like Rachel Maddow."
ReplyDeleteI don't know where you were when Rachel Maddow was hired by MSNBC, but she was NEVER at all like 360
nor did she ever try to be.
Rachel is unique in her presentations and delivery and her interests are very unusual as with her best seller now, "Drift."
She has always been a scholar and proud of it, while Anderson is just coasting.
She is in her prime and he's slowly going out to pasture and as far as reviving 360, forget about it.
You'd have to revive the anchor and that's now nearly impossible.
CNN's problems are systemic. The network does
ReplyDeleteneed new programs. The entire environment and
look at CNN needs to change. I agree CNN is not
smart conversation these days. Somebody has
to figure out a way to make things up with the
viewers. Any changes at CNN will have to be
tangible and visually apparent. No more branding.
If you can't find ways to present material through
words and video. Don't call yourself journalists.
Management decides the tone of the network.
CNN has got to stop demoralizing their own
journalists. You don't have more pundits than
reporters for news stories or make your show
hosts share the stage with them or give them
prominent roles on your major shows. CNN
made the same mistake with Starting Point
as the did with John King. It is palling around
with pundits and just plain awful.
CNN will likely have new management but if
it is more of Ken Jautz or Jon Klein. it won't
matter. CNN needs a leader who is a visionary
and has a strong commitment to news and
has some ideas to improve CNN. This will
not be easy. Stop punishing journalists in
favor of dumbed down news.
CNN messed up big time when they decided
ReplyDeletelongtime CNN fans were not worthy. Like we are
too stupid to realize that CNN was embracing
what even doesn't meet journalism standards.
Glenn Beck, Breitbart, right wing bloggers don't
constitute news. Now CNN is straight up ignorant.
Racial slurs, rude panels. Strombo & Kelley will
increase the IQ of CNN programming. Boy do
they need it. CNN will have to make changes for
the better not for the worse. Just when you think
CNN wouldn't sink any lower, you are thrown
back into reality the moment you watch CNN.
Act like you got some sense.
It is Mediaite. Take it with a grain of salt. That
ReplyDeletevery same day Bill got more viewers/demo than
his 3 competitors combined. Really Mediaite. We
are talking about 1 day not a week not a month.
How do you leave out what Bill did that night ?
It is a bogus comparison courtesy Mediaite.
George or Rachel at 9 would be a tough call
ReplyDeletefor me to make. I like them both and their
personalities are similar. I hope CNN is really
talking to George Stroumboulopoulos.
I used to like watching Don Lemon's weekend night broadcast but it's become a disappointment.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, because Rick Santorum has dropped out leaving Mitt Romney as the presumptive nominee, does anyone know about plans for Tuesdays primary coverage? My guess is that it will be incorporated with regularly scheduled programming.
I agree. The Situatiom Room moving to 5PM-8PM like it once was would be a smart move. Cancel John King and Erin Burnett. Great lead in for AC360° and great way to keep viewers tuned in, especially with this being an election year.
ReplyDeleteVery good point. A single new show at the 7PM hour will not save the time slot if CNN chooses to cancel Outfront unless it's Oprah. Great idea to see what would happen if CNN did a continuation of TSR until AC360 at 8.
ReplyDeleteCNN has lost me on the weekends to Chris
ReplyDeleteHayes and Melissa Harris Perry. I like that
both are not using the same tired old pundits
who are not qualified to put complex issues
into perspective. I'm intrigued by how different
their approach is on various topics. There is a
huge market for news and smart conversation.
Don Lemon and others at CNN could learn a lot
from these 2. I DVR both shows on Saturday and
Sunday. MSNNC is going with smart intelligent
conversation, why is that not the norm at CNN ?
You will always walk away with something from
UP & MHP. When was the last time CNN made
you think ?
Another black eye for CNN. All week long CNN
ReplyDeletedevotes an enormous amount of time to a 40 yr
old disappearance. It turned out to be nothing.
That is how you lose viewers. CNN is the network
who cries wolf too many times. They are doing
the same thing with all of the speculation on a
possible Romney VP. It is April and Summer
movie season is about to kick off. Cable news
might be speculating but not the rest of us.
There is so much news. So why make a fake
topic and try to pass it off as news all day long.
A VP pick is on nobody's radar. CNN is just
making that up. Hey CNN there is big news
on Walmart. Viewer disconnect.
Love Chris Hayes and MHP. They would find a
way to have a unique conversation on the Walmart
bribery problem. They would talk to authors of
books on Walmart and how they operate. CNN
will use pundits all of the time no matter the
story.
What worries me is how the facts get thrown out
ReplyDeleteof the window on CNN. I could be wrong but it
looks like CNN's talent does very little prep work.
When you rely on pundits as heavily as CNN does,
it is a train wreck. The facts become a casualty.
ESPN has been around as long as CNN and they
have remained relevant and upgraded but never
get away from the network's rich history. CNN
seems to be getting away from news being at
it's core. CNN is it's own worst enemy. MSNBC
& FNC can just watch CNN self destruct. The
problem with CNN is that they don't get how
bad they really are . Whoever comes in to
rebuild CNN will have their work cut out for them.
Ken Jautz just picked up where Jon Klein left
off. You don't give Erin Burnett a prime time
show on CNN. The Disney boss behind the
John Carter fiasco just resigned. Mistakes like
Out Front and Starting Points are generally
career enders.
Have you guys noticed that former CNN'er
ReplyDeleteCatherine Crier is now on MSNBC. She has
been making appearances on MSNBC lately.
Another smart move by MSNBC.
There is also ALex Wagner and Ezra Klein in
addition to Melissa Harris Perry and Chris Hayes.
I had to turn the channel from CNN. True story :
CNN was dong a segment on Zimmerman's GPS
ankle device. Why,why,why.
Viewers are likely leaving CNN earlier in the day
and never coming back. I'm no political animal
so the political shows are my least favorite. To
my surprise Alex Wagner was covering other
topics and not just politics. I had avoided Now
because I thought it was another political show.
It is so much more. I DVR 360 but man CNN is
losing me big time.
Is it now CNN policy not to have journalists
from other news outlets, news papers or
magazines. I really don't get why CNN is all
about the ideological pundits no substance.
Thrilled that folks like Alex Wagner, Erza Klein,
Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes, Melissa Harris
Perry & Catherine Crier are on cable news. If
they are not on CNN. I can't watch CNN. Must
be a generational thing. I fell no relationship
with the news CNN is doing. I try to to watch
because it is the network for cable news with
my parents. What happened to CNN. MSNBC
is now what CNN used to be. It could be that
CNN is making their viewers turn the channel.
You can't force me to watch something I don't
like. Likability is a problem for CNN too.
Don Lemon's show is so goofy. His show needs to be cancelled along with John King's. I was just wondering if maybe they have made offers to others - say Jake Tapper, Chris Cuomo and that they are not interested in CNN. CNN needs some new talent.
ReplyDelete@6:57 p.m.- I agree that the Situation Room could be expanded. But I disagree about keeping 360....if it remains as it is currently. The old 360 was great, but lately it isn't. I used to watch it all the time, but watch Rachel now---she does her homework and her interviews are sharp and she is prepared. TSR is the only show I will watch on CNN anymore.
ReplyDelete@5:41PM Thank you.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. Too many people here are afraid to say what they really think about 360, as though they're being disloyal to Anderson.
Anderson needs to know that his show is subpar and he's being compared to Rachel Maddow who has become far superior in every way.
He was an excellent field reporter who decided of his own accord to become someone else.
Sorry, that someone else has very low standards as a host and journalist.
360 needs to be totally revamped or dropped along with the rest of the line-up.
There's a reason he's getting poor ratings. Anderson has become ill prepared and boring and he hasn;t left the anchor chair since he started his talkfest.
Jimmy Kimmel's commentary at the Washington Correspondence dinner was terrible.
ReplyDeleteHe rushed through the entire thing because he was nervous and he knew it was going over poorly.
Most of it was unfunny and boring.
I feel sorry for the President and First Lady having to sit through dinners like that and pretend to enjoy them when they know in most instances they are offensive.
As a long time CNN viewer I agree with so many of you and have found myself changing the channel to MSNBC or Bloomberg News. I can't recall the last time I watched Anderson Cooper 360 and I don't miss it one bit. CNN lost it's way a long time ago, but hiring retreads from FOX is not the answer. I gave that morning Soledad O'Brien show one month and gave up (I even went so far as to voice my complaints to CNN, but they don't seem to care about long time viewers) it's trying to be like Morning Joe, but it's just shrill in comparison. I used to watch Don Lemon on the weekends, but the show's format has changed and less newsy. I really miss the old CNN. One last thing I have to get off my chest is CNN's on air people are becoming too casual in the way they dress. Having a presence on tv is something most of us will never know so why dress like down? My local news people dress to the nines! CNN could learn something from my local news market.
ReplyDelete