CNN: Cable’s First News Network Falls to Last Place
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/cnn-drops-to-last-place-among-cable-news-networks/
Times change. CNN was a revolution when it first broadcast over cable on June 1, 1980. During the first Gulf War in 1991, they provided a glimpse of the conflict in real time never before imagined in news coverage. They created the 24 hour news cycle. CNN also provided the template for many news programs still being recycled in many forms today. They gave us Crossfire, a debate program from opposite political perspectives. They expanded the news analysis program once only the domain of Sunday mornings. CNN created what amounted to a news network for the world.
So how is it that CNN is now dead last in a four network field in cable news? They trail Fox News, MSNBC, and even their own HN (Headline News).
First, especially in the case of Fox news, the other networks know how to connect with their audiences. While Fox is openly ridiculed by the White House and radical left as being a conservative mouthpiece, they attract viewers from all political perspectives by providing news programming in a variety of formats with personable anchors, on the scene reporting, then quick analysis usually finding perspectives on both sides of the issues. Their specialty programming would appear to tilt to the right with Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity. Their flagship program, the O’Reilly Factor, starring host, Bill O’Reilly does often deal with conservative issues but O’Reilly is a skillful journalist and showman who plays devil’s advocate to maximum benefit. On the Record with Greta VanSusterain, a former CNN legal anchor, hosts an interview driven program which also deals with legal issues hardly a conservative program.
MSNBC has sought to excel by being the “not Fox” network. Perceiving Fox as the right wing network, they’ve steered to the hard left providing a mouthpiece for the radical left, almost unfiltered, in their programming.
HN (Headline News) is the most curious competitor of CNN’s. They are a CNN spinoff originally designed to be constant news reportage highlighting the major stories in half hour programming blocks. Some cable channels would fill the second half hour with their own programming. It was supposed to be quick news all the time. CNN brass broke from that formula to drive up recognition and ratings adding personality-driven issues programming which included Glenn Beck kept under much tighter wraps than on his current Fox program. Crime stopper, Nancy Grace, is their most recognized prime time program examining hot crime cases and trials from the point of view of a feisty former prosecutor.
CNN still has Larry King at 9:00 pm, but many of their most recognized programs have either been dropped or have morphed into blandness. The network tries to position itself as the truly centrist voice in cable news while showing a clear liberal preference. Many of their recognized stars have either retired or moved on to other opportunities including many of their business correspondents moving to Fox of Fox Business network. Their prime time programming besides Larry King and CNN long-timer, Lou Dobbs, includes a general news program allowing time for discussion and perspective on the issues with anchor Campbell Brown, formerly a rising star at NBC. Brown is professional, smart, but bland. Their other key program is Anderson Cooper’s. Cooper is their glamour boy, a fellow of the most elite pedigree, Gloria Vanderbilt’s son. His program is designed to be a fast paced personality driven news program allowing Cooper to do on the scene reporting as much as possible. Though the program spans two hours, the second hour generally repeats the first. The format appears patterned after Shepherd Smith’s program on Fox at 7:00 pm, The Fox Report; however, much attention seems to be on the perceived charisma of host, Cooper.
Dobbs has become increasingly alienating to the CNN audience. Once providing a nightly financial program, Dobbs has attempted to be something of a Bill O’Reilly. His views on immigration and other issues have done more to turn off viewers to him than ginning up controversy that attracts viewers.
While CNN fell behind Fox News earlier in the decade, they maintained a strong voice based on their familiarity and reputation. Today, they are rock bottom. Their fall could be blamed on the strength of their competition but calling MSNBC strong is a long reach. CNN is truly a superior product to MSNBC. However, what MSNBC has accomplished that CNN has lost is the ability to define their audience and reel them in.
CNN quite simply has lost its vision as a news operation. Clearly, Ted Turner and the principles he brought together to launch the network had a clear mission defining CNN as a pioneer in the rising cable television industry. With Bernard Shaw, an African American, experienced network reporter, became their first major anchor giving them instant credibility. Turner’s idealism, while politically far-left, helped create the energy and enthusiasm that kept CNN on the move.
As Turner’s roll declined and his network merged with Time-Warner, the network became simply another Time-Warner product with entertainment industry big shots trying to manage a highly specialized, complicated product. Quickly, CNN lost its image and audience. Their commitment to quality vanished. There’s no getting around CNN just is not a quality product any longer.
Can three or four cable news operations co-exist and succeed?
Probably, but it won’t be easy. For CNN to rise up again, first they need to commit to quality in every thing they do. CNN needs a clear mission statement that defines, “This is who we are.” Beyond that before they can address anything else, they must do an excellent job reporting the news honestly, thoroughly, and objectively. With those factors as the foundation, they have to do something the other stations aren’t doing and must have appealing personalities who attract viewers. Defining themselves on the left/right, liberal/conservative continuum will not help. Fox and MSNBC have already done that. Could they have a shows hosted by conservative or liberal hosts, certainly, but they can’t simply come up with their versions of what someone else has already tried. What are some areas they could explore that the other networks haven’t? We really don’t need a third network on political and economic issues dominating the discussion unless there are some fresh unexplored possibilities. Some ideas to consider, though not sufficient to create prime time programs are: technology, medicine, the environment, education, and international news – a Ted Turner favorite. They can explore demographics not currently watching the other networks.
Advertising dollars are tight and viewers impatient. These are tough times for CNN Headquarters in Atlanta. On their present course, they will continue to become increasingly irrelevant. MSNBC could self-destruct, but there is a core audience they serve that would endanger CNN tremendously if they tried to capture by outflanking their rival. Short of signing Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin for prime time, they don’t have a chance against Fox on the other side. They must forge their own direction. The world of news and information is ripe with possibilities. How will CNN size up their position and will the Time-Warner empire give them the resources to put their house in order?
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/cnn-drops-to-last-place-among-cable-news-networks/
Times change. CNN was a revolution when it first broadcast over cable on June 1, 1980. During the first Gulf War in 1991, they provided a glimpse of the conflict in real time never before imagined in news coverage. They created the 24 hour news cycle. CNN also provided the template for many news programs still being recycled in many forms today. They gave us Crossfire, a debate program from opposite political perspectives. They expanded the news analysis program once only the domain of Sunday mornings. CNN created what amounted to a news network for the world.
So how is it that CNN is now dead last in a four network field in cable news? They trail Fox News, MSNBC, and even their own HN (Headline News).
First, especially in the case of Fox news, the other networks know how to connect with their audiences. While Fox is openly ridiculed by the White House and radical left as being a conservative mouthpiece, they attract viewers from all political perspectives by providing news programming in a variety of formats with personable anchors, on the scene reporting, then quick analysis usually finding perspectives on both sides of the issues. Their specialty programming would appear to tilt to the right with Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity. Their flagship program, the O’Reilly Factor, starring host, Bill O’Reilly does often deal with conservative issues but O’Reilly is a skillful journalist and showman who plays devil’s advocate to maximum benefit. On the Record with Greta VanSusterain, a former CNN legal anchor, hosts an interview driven program which also deals with legal issues hardly a conservative program.
MSNBC has sought to excel by being the “not Fox” network. Perceiving Fox as the right wing network, they’ve steered to the hard left providing a mouthpiece for the radical left, almost unfiltered, in their programming.
HN (Headline News) is the most curious competitor of CNN’s. They are a CNN spinoff originally designed to be constant news reportage highlighting the major stories in half hour programming blocks. Some cable channels would fill the second half hour with their own programming. It was supposed to be quick news all the time. CNN brass broke from that formula to drive up recognition and ratings adding personality-driven issues programming which included Glenn Beck kept under much tighter wraps than on his current Fox program. Crime stopper, Nancy Grace, is their most recognized prime time program examining hot crime cases and trials from the point of view of a feisty former prosecutor.
CNN still has Larry King at 9:00 pm, but many of their most recognized programs have either been dropped or have morphed into blandness. The network tries to position itself as the truly centrist voice in cable news while showing a clear liberal preference. Many of their recognized stars have either retired or moved on to other opportunities including many of their business correspondents moving to Fox of Fox Business network. Their prime time programming besides Larry King and CNN long-timer, Lou Dobbs, includes a general news program allowing time for discussion and perspective on the issues with anchor Campbell Brown, formerly a rising star at NBC. Brown is professional, smart, but bland. Their other key program is Anderson Cooper’s. Cooper is their glamour boy, a fellow of the most elite pedigree, Gloria Vanderbilt’s son. His program is designed to be a fast paced personality driven news program allowing Cooper to do on the scene reporting as much as possible. Though the program spans two hours, the second hour generally repeats the first. The format appears patterned after Shepherd Smith’s program on Fox at 7:00 pm, The Fox Report; however, much attention seems to be on the perceived charisma of host, Cooper.
Dobbs has become increasingly alienating to the CNN audience. Once providing a nightly financial program, Dobbs has attempted to be something of a Bill O’Reilly. His views on immigration and other issues have done more to turn off viewers to him than ginning up controversy that attracts viewers.
While CNN fell behind Fox News earlier in the decade, they maintained a strong voice based on their familiarity and reputation. Today, they are rock bottom. Their fall could be blamed on the strength of their competition but calling MSNBC strong is a long reach. CNN is truly a superior product to MSNBC. However, what MSNBC has accomplished that CNN has lost is the ability to define their audience and reel them in.
CNN quite simply has lost its vision as a news operation. Clearly, Ted Turner and the principles he brought together to launch the network had a clear mission defining CNN as a pioneer in the rising cable television industry. With Bernard Shaw, an African American, experienced network reporter, became their first major anchor giving them instant credibility. Turner’s idealism, while politically far-left, helped create the energy and enthusiasm that kept CNN on the move.
As Turner’s roll declined and his network merged with Time-Warner, the network became simply another Time-Warner product with entertainment industry big shots trying to manage a highly specialized, complicated product. Quickly, CNN lost its image and audience. Their commitment to quality vanished. There’s no getting around CNN just is not a quality product any longer.
Can three or four cable news operations co-exist and succeed?
Probably, but it won’t be easy. For CNN to rise up again, first they need to commit to quality in every thing they do. CNN needs a clear mission statement that defines, “This is who we are.” Beyond that before they can address anything else, they must do an excellent job reporting the news honestly, thoroughly, and objectively. With those factors as the foundation, they have to do something the other stations aren’t doing and must have appealing personalities who attract viewers. Defining themselves on the left/right, liberal/conservative continuum will not help. Fox and MSNBC have already done that. Could they have a shows hosted by conservative or liberal hosts, certainly, but they can’t simply come up with their versions of what someone else has already tried. What are some areas they could explore that the other networks haven’t? We really don’t need a third network on political and economic issues dominating the discussion unless there are some fresh unexplored possibilities. Some ideas to consider, though not sufficient to create prime time programs are: technology, medicine, the environment, education, and international news – a Ted Turner favorite. They can explore demographics not currently watching the other networks.
Advertising dollars are tight and viewers impatient. These are tough times for CNN Headquarters in Atlanta. On their present course, they will continue to become increasingly irrelevant. MSNBC could self-destruct, but there is a core audience they serve that would endanger CNN tremendously if they tried to capture by outflanking their rival. Short of signing Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin for prime time, they don’t have a chance against Fox on the other side. They must forge their own direction. The world of news and information is ripe with possibilities. How will CNN size up their position and will the Time-Warner empire give them the resources to put their house in order?
No comments:
Post a Comment