CNN 'Parts Ways' With In-House Headhunter

It wasn't long ago that CNN prexy Jon Klein, swimming in $1.1 billion in revenue, was cutting against the gloomy, layoffs-are-coming media landscape by crowing to Felix Gillette, "When you know that you have the resources, it liberates the creative side...We've been smart about deploying the vast resources that we have at our disposal. But knowing that we have the profits to plow back into the coverage gives us an immense advantage. We can afford more people on our air and off our air. So, goddamn it, we're going to have more people." And so Klein ploughed back those profits, fashioning the CNN Grill as a monument to the understated dignity of journalism, and on election night, Anderson Cooper was on the air, cold-chillin' with holograms.

Of course, since then, many people on the "creative side" of CNN have found themselves permanently liberated from their employment - the sci/tech unit, Veronica De La Cruz and Jennifer Eccleston come immediately to mind. Last week, Jeff Bercovici stopped Klein's throat with his own words over the matter. This week, a brief item in Page Six indicates that Klein's dream of having MORE PEOPLE GODDAMN IT may be essentially over.

WITH the TV industry doing more firing than hiring, the networks' in-house talent hunters have had nothing to do. So CNN recently parted ways with Henry Mauldin, head of on-air hiring.

Yeah! Feel that creative liberation!

Comments

[swanie]

Now, if they only get rid of "No Bias, No Bull". It is simply a rerun of news that almost everybody has already seen, and frankly, Campbell does not do a very good job as moderator.

Notice how they always have "teasers" before going to break? And most of the teasers are already known to the viewer.

Not a very good show. Back to NPR for me.

.

[KarateKid]

Last night, CNN did have one good show, Planet in Peril, with Lisa Ling and Anderson Cooper (who is MUCH better in programs like this rather than 360). It was very compelling.

[eliza]

Agreed. A great special.

[KarateKid]

All these Campbell Brown ads plastered on these pages, I guess the CNN ad placement people haven't been reading the comments of the folks here. What dummies. Keep wasting money on ads for her, and you WILL have to lay people off.

[Martha12]

Campbell Brown, Drew Griffin, Rick Sanchez and Wolf Blitzer would not be missed.

[eliza]

The fact that Miles O'Brien is gone and Drew Griffin is still there is a travesty.

[susie1776]

Please tell me Wolf Blitzer is NEXT!!!!

[KCFreedom]

Oh yeah, Wolf, the guy who always acts perplexed every time it seems something illegal or bad has happened. Couldn't get to the bottom of a shallow swimming pool.

[katielady]

one of the main reasons I watch CNN is because of the science tech interest and presentation. I like Veronica, Jennifer and especially, Miles O'brien.. who can forget the intelligent analysis he provides in dissecting accidents or providing insight into space exploration and other real achievements. Too bad, hope somebody scoops him up.. very valuable journalist.

[KCFreedom]

Years ago I really liked the Science & Technology hour on CNN on Saturday mornings, with Miles O'Brien. It was one of the few times you actually learned something useful, instead of a bunch of talking heads spewing repetitive nothings, dumbing us all down.

It figures they'd cut that unit, as it actually required some actual journalism, instead of just reading talking points provided by corporate & government masters. That must be the current profit model.

[Haditup2here]

They think they have it bad now . . . wait until their gamble with D.L. Hughley puts them in the red.

[mjeffn]

CNN is still on the AIR?