CNN To Ditch News Programming

So CNN is going to stop being a news network it seems.

Source

As a result, CNN recently announced drastic changes to its format to include more reality programming, documentaries, and other non-news offerings.

Network officials confirmed that the switch would cut into profits, indicating this move is more out of necessity than a genuine desire to eschew hard news coverage.

“These programming investments will put pressure on its margins,” said Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, noting that he expects it will also “bring new advertisers to CNN.”

It comes as no surprise as the article notes since CNN has declined in quality of coverage and popularity over the last decade. They can't seem to produce the kind of 'high quality' pundits that MSNBC or Fox seem to have.

I think converting to a reality TV/documentary line up is even more honest of an approach for the network that constantly fails to provide adequate news coverage.

I wonder if Aljazeera or another news source will pick up the slack and become more popular in the MSM.

Thoughts?

~Tenth

Good riddance to them! They will not be missed. Now they can focus 100% of their time on government propaganda.
Anderson Cooper can go back to Langley. Piers can go back to the U.K. if they'll take him.

So instead of bring news they wish to dumb down people even more with jersey shore now that is sad.

I can't help to wonder if there is an external push to get them out of the news broadcasting .

Then again it just might be cheaper for them to run reality shows and documentaries then pay for a group of incompetent journalist / reporters to never really bringing forth ground breaking news or bickering or screaming like a raging loon acting all pissed off while getting paid a 6 figure income .

tothetenthpower
They can't seem to produce the kind of 'high quality' pundits that MSNBC or Fox seem to have.

I know that you were being sarcastic, right? Please tell me you were being sarcastic.
MSNBC and FOX ... high quality .... I don't think so.
(well ... Shepard Smith at FOX is okay I guess).

Anyways, I dont think we need yet another 'reality tv show'.
Honey Boo-Boo ... Kardashians ... those fishing boat guys ... etc etc
I mean ... YUK.

And here I thought that CNN was actually becoming the most balanced of the news networks.
During the Clinton years they were the Clinton News Network, but in the past handful of
years I thought they had improved. Oh well. My bad. I guess I must have missed something.

CNN has to be one of the most politically biased and CIA influenced propaganda factory anyways, they must even believe their own lies too..

They consider anyone who isn't politically like they are, to be anti-government, the opposite of the actual truth..

Would be nice to see their offices and company studios torched to the ground. Deport them all to North Korea where at least their politics will match with their new leader..

reply to post by FlyersFan


Yup, the " " was the sarcasm

It's a damn shame too though, cause they could just re-invent themselves as a proper news channel. If they were going to take a financial hit anyway to change the programming over, they could have done something amazing.

Sometimes, I miss the Ted Turner days.

~Tenth

reply to post by tothetenthpower


So our "news" is going to be as polarizing as our current popular ideologies.

I wonder if it was planned.

(tinfoil hat on snugly)

tothetenthpower
Yup, the " " was the sarcasm

OH THANK GOODNESS! I thought I was going to have to cyberslap you! (ha ha ha)

It's a damn shame too though, cause they could just re-invent themselves as a proper news channel.

I really thought they were doing that. Really. LIke I said - back in the Clinton days they were the Clinton News Network. But recently I thought they had improved a whole lot. They are a thousand times better than MSNBC and yet MSNBC is still staying on the air. I don't understand why they didn't scrub down and do an overhaul and give us some honest agenda free news. That's what we really want.

The CNN mission of indirect propaganda through corporate investments has come to its goal and is now being put to a end.

Now stay tuned for the new mission. Propaganda in its newest form. Patriot Programming Promises. " PPP" .

reply to post by tothetenthpower


"high quality pundits that MSNBC or FOX seem to have" really, MSNBC ? MSNBC is only one step above CNN in the cable news rating's. Found this on Cable News Ratting's on the internet.

I guess the content that CNN had would fit right into Aljazeera's programming...hate and ridicule for anyone that does not agree with them only with a Muslim spin.

alienreality
CNN has to be one of the most politically biased and CIA influenced propaganda factory anyways, they must even believe their own lies too..

They consider anyone who isn't politically like they are, to be anti-government, the opposite of the actual truth..

Would be nice to see their offices and company studios torched to the ground. Deport them all to North Korea where at least their politics will match with their new leader..

And a reply such as yours is entirely NON politically biased?

Kinda ironic reading the article on a site which is very obvious VERY conservative, seemingly on the far right side of the spectrum using sentences like "As too often happens within a leftist-controlled environment, objectivity long ago took a backseat to ideology." and things like "combined with the blatant partisanship of its personalities and frequent misleading or inaccurate reportage".

Yes, right, THIS site where the article is from is very political neutral /SARCASM

Who is those who are "not politically like they [CNN] are?" If we say CNN is "leftist", then all those "who are not like CNN" are obviously on the right, such as the site where the article is from, or yourself, looking at your reply and your signature.

And it's actually A FACT that many who are on the right (tea-party idiots etc.) and MANY on the right are outspokenly ANTI-GOVERNMENT. So..in a certain way you are entirely correct, people who are not politically "like they are" are (normally) Anti-Government. Thanks for confirming this with your very reply.

That source is sort of right and also way off. CNN is indeed adding some programing to from straight news all the time. The problem for CNN is FOX is hardcore right and caters to that audience with opinion shows all day. MSNBC is hard left and caters to the audience with opinion shows all day long. CNN just sat in the middle. The right scream they are left and the left screams they are right. Its kind of funny because media watchers during the election when both sides were claiming CNN was in the can for the other side showed the CNN had equal amount of positve storys for each candidate and equal number of negative stories for each while FOX of course was heavely positive for Romney and MSNBC for Obama. CNN has been the celebrity and disaster news network for awhile and it makes money but, it sees an opportunity. The Daily Show and the Colbair Report crush all three in the ratings all the time and it kills in key demographics. That is what CNN wants. That is why the lured Anothoney Bourdain to the network and that is why they showed Blackfish. They want that market because it is the most profitable. CNN wants to the the cool hip edgy news network that the college kids will watch instead of fighting over the old white market that all three of them get now.

Oh well, that answers what I've been wondering. I was getting sick of all the new documentaries when there was breaking news to cover. Surely people were not writing in saying they prefer watching where that Anthony Bordeaux eats his dinner? If I want a food show there's a food network.

I will go back to msnbc or BBC world, hopefully they aren't all following suit.

Why don't they just go back to reporting the news? Anthony Bordain is not news, and Pierce is an over opinionated person whose views I would rather not hear. I remember the days when CNN was good. Over the years every time you turn it on there is someone new, I can't stand the '5 things' I need to know. CNN is a filler and is no longer news anyway. The other thing that really bugs me is the amount of commercials that they are loading in. Go to commercial only to find advertisement promoting themselves....I'm (insert a name here) and this is CNN, give me a break. I find more breaking stories here, and every story is BREAKING, then I will turn them on to get more detail (which just plays over and over and over again)

So if there's a catastrophic event happening where do we watch that?
Will they still have breaking news coverage?

reply to post by whatnext21


It used to be good. I could watch all day , but only until 7 pm , because being in the pacific time zone was all just repeats until about 1 am. Then it wasn't even live at that time anymore.
I gave up on it.

Wonder if the CNN app will stay as it is because I can't use nbc apps in Canada.

Piers was a terrible replacement for Larry king. I always thought they would keep the Larry king show and have Ryan seacrest hosting , as he filled in so many times and Larry chose him to replace him.

Piers is a toffee- nosed know it all.
I think they lost viewers when they hired that idiot.

I liked Sonja Gupta until I saw too much of him.
Larry king was best. I would watch that and keep it on. Once toffee nose piers came along, I kept switching channels. Then I try putting it back on only to see some guy pigging out all over the world. Like who cares?

reply to post by tothetenthpower

Network officials confirmed that the switch would cut into profits, indicating this move is more out of necessity than a genuine desire to eschew hard news coverage.

I am a little dubious of the wording in that statement. Why would they need to say this? Obviously if they are going with the latest trend in popular p*** poor TV viewing, they are looking to increase viewership. More viewership means the more they can charge for commercial time. More willing sponsors. More revenue. So where is the cut in profits coming?

Why sound so altruistic about the whole thing?

Whatever will we do without CNN and their esteemed level of journalism? Maybe they can now get Judge Judy to pontificate on world events with Wolf Blitzer? The Wolf and Judy Power Hour. Maybe they can have a guest audience who can judge if something is good or bad. Give away free prizes from their sponsors.

So CNN is getting rid of their news? What does CNN mean ~~ Cable News Network~~ Does this mean they change their name? Or does the middle 'N' stand for something else, 'Nauseating' perhaps? Sounds good to me, they are almost there anyway!!!

New show now, Morgan Spurlock Inside Man...way to go CNN. So where do we tune in to see the news now, in Canada it is CBC news, roll it, over and over. They are all following the same format garbage.

Time to get rid of cable. Most news sites are part of a package and CNN was the last one included in my VIP ~~Very Increased Pricing ~~ package. Not going to increase my cable bill to add other news sources it is way too high already. In fact they should be paying me to watch all of their commercials that they force me to watch. Anyone else sick of the nonstop ads?