The April ratings are in and CNN is at its lowest point in my memory. All four of the major news networks lost numbers from last April to this April, but in percentages, CNN was down about twice as much as any of its competitors. In primetime, FoxNews lost 19 percent of its viewers, and CNN lost 38 percent. In the key 25-54 demographic, FoxNews was down 13 percent and CNN was down more than three times as many, 41%. In total day, FoxNews was down 17 percent and CNN was down 36 percent, and again in the 25-54 age group, FoxNews was down 16 percent and CNN was down 35 percent.
The biggest winner, and by that I mean the smallest loser, of the news networks was MSNBC, which was down only 6 percent both in primetime and in total day, a surprisingly good showing. Among 25-54s, MSNBC was down 12 percent in total day (still better than any of its other competitors) and in primetime it tied FoxNews at minus 13 percent.
Headline News did better than its sister network, down only 11 percent in total day and 17 percent in primetime. Among 25-54s it did much worse, down 35 percent and 28 percent respectively.
To put faces on all these numbers, O'Reilly, Hannity and Van Susteren (Greta) lost a much larger percentage of viewers than did Olbermann, Maddow and Matthews. I know that's not saying who's best; it's just saying who's least worst. CNN's team, Brown, King and Cooper, is, in the words of Frank Loesser, "either too young or too old ... too grey or too grassy green." One of them is long since his prime, and the others have no reason to be in prime at all.
I think CNN is at risk of becoming a bad joke. Late night comics and cartoonists are already using them as a gag line. Newspapers are asking "experts" how to save them. It's time for a major change, before moving from "joke" to "tired joke". Writing this is getting tired, too. It's making me feel cruel, and, even if April is the cruelest month, I'd rather be writing about something else.
A LONG time ago they went from news to editorial. The lack of even an occasional moderate tone pretty much sealed their fate. Most of their hosts seem silly and condescending. In fact most of the hosts (except Cooper) seem immature in my opinion. I watch some Morning Joe, and mostly Fox. Fox treats their guests with more respect than anyone so it is not uncomfortable to watch.
CNN needs a revamp and "under new management" banner to get me to even think of stopping the channel there anymore.
The network still tries to produce something resembling unbiased news, but people actually interested in unbiased news can get faster, more relevant, more detailed news from the internet than from television.
Brainpower is sorely needed. So many reporters don't know the questions to ask even when a guest leaves the door wide open. Blitzer has missed a gazillion of them, so I quit watching. He couldn't wring water out of a dishrag, sorta like David Gregory. Is there a place for reporters to learn the issues, like maybe the head of the news department? If so CNN needs to find some intelligencers.
Reporting is expensive.
CNN can no longer spend the money necessary to report the news so all they can do is talk about it.
But compared to FOXNews or MSNBC their "balanced" approach to newstalk is boring.
The only hope for CNN is for ABC/Disney or CBS to buy it and merge it with their existing news gathering organizations.
Otherwise it is doomed.
Who needs a middle of the road newstalk station?
These big news organizations, with offices within walking distance of Wall St. can't make the effort to cover it, but they will fly news crews to the smallest of towns to cover a tea party event. Incredible!
You can also blame the fact that each of the major news networks is a for-profit corporation, much like the firms being protested against that you mention.
They have pathetically weak anchors in Wolf Blitzer, John King, Campbell Brown, Tony Brown.
Worse yet, they committed a colossal mistake in judgment when they chose a format that encourages unchallenged talking points from the left and right, leading to silly, pompous, unilluminating propaganda---and sometimes outright lies---not news.
A couple of days ago, one of their "journalists" opined that her hero was Edward R. Murrow.
CNN is so far divorced from his type of journalism most of the time that the remark would have been laughable had it not be so lamentable.
Since then they've toned down the blind adulation and fawning coverage but it will take years before anyone (except for the most Liberal) trusts these networks again.
Yeah, I know. Fox has an agenda too. Of the 3 big cable networks their coverage is probably the most fair however. They may be anti Obama BUT they have lefties on FOX all day defending the Administration's policies.
There are plenty of legitimate journalists left out there, don't waste your money chasing "on air personalities"
And quit this facade that there are ALWAYS two side to a story. Don't be afraid to call a quack a quack. And don't be afraid to call a liar a liar.
I know that the "shout show" was a money maker, but perhaps credibility could be a ratings draw.
When I want to hear bias one way or the other, I go to FOX or MSNBC, when I want to hear relatively unbiased, I go to CNN. However, they really do have some bad faces representing the network.....from the top down. Wolf Blitzer is a good reporter but should not be hosting anything...his personality is about as boring as soup. They need to keep their approach, get some good strong people as the face of the network and work the angle of being the place to go if you want unbiased news.