CNN broke the ground in the 24-hour cable news format. They shocked the ‘Big 3’ networks as they covered news as it happened. The OJ Simpson trial, Reagan assassination attempt, fall of the Berlin Wall, Clinton impeachment and so many huge moments, they were it.
Over time, they lost their way. They lost it from a combination of factors and CNN’s failure to adjust on the fly. Every empire has a beginning, middle, and end. In a post-Rush Limbaugh world, news/talk can learn from this.
CNN’s success brought on competitors. MSNBC launched on July 15, 1996, with Fox News following on October 7, 1996. CNN slowly lost audience to both news competitors, but it wasn’t that simple.
When CNN launched in 1980, there were 28 cable channels. Now, we have 450 channels plus and with streaming, YouTube, Facebook, and numerous other news and entertainment choices. Upon the launches of MSNBC and Fox News, it was widely believed that MSNBC would be the biggest competition. CNN read those reports and never was able to pivot.
We all know what happened next. Fox News exploded to the ratings lead and seemingly CNN was blindsided. Instead of focusing and refining its product, CNN panicked. Replaced the long-in-the-tooth Larry King with Piers Morgan, which was a horrible error. CNN changed shows again and created mayhem for their primetime line-up.
CNN built an empire on breaking news. Big stories from assassination attempts, Waco, Oklahoma City, Columbine, and more. CNN was on top of it with credible information as it happened. It took Fox News a couple of decades to catch up with CNN on breaking news coverage. CNN still has cameras everywhere when there is a huge story.
Frequently, CNN sullied stellar news coverage with inane and unneeded analysis. If there is a hurricane hitting Florida, we don’t need a lecture on climate change. We need to know what is happening and perhaps how we can help.
CNN lost credibility with its ‘stars’. The missing Malaysian jetliner consumed the news cycle for weeks. A missing airplane. How did we lose it? Where did it go? Don Lemon became a laughingstock when he asked if a black hole could have taken Flight 370. Don asked a panel of 7 people. Lemon jumped the proverbial shark at that moment but remained with CNN for 9 more years. Don remained in primetime getting hammered in the ratings.
Obviously, keeping a failing show in place for that long didn’t help the network. The ratings certainly said that the show was not working. I am guessing that CNN’s brass didn’t feel that they had anyone else who could fill Lemon’s shoes. Which is really scary.
Anderson Cooper has not been a ratings juggernaut, either. CNN’s New Year’s Eve Show became the only reason to watch the network. Sadly, whatever credibility Cooper had was lost. Fox News does a New Year’s Eve Show, but it is with backbenchers and was created not to damage the brand.
As CNN’s competitors grew in ratings and prestige, the suits at the Time Warner building decided that they were going to mirror MSNBC. While apparently not understanding how to read the Nielsen ratings, CNN ignored Fox News. It allowed Fox News to continue its dominance without even challenging them. CNN became a copy of MSNBC sans the red meat leftwing activism of that network.
Ok. How I would fix CNN? Chris Licht was really onto something by bringing back the news tradition of CNN. The staff was stabbing Licht in the back the entire time. Any program director who has walked into a formerly great station that is failing can relate. The longtime staff frequently only sees one way for the station or network to operate. They have been in that culture for years and turning the direction of a radio station is tough enough, imagine with the 4,000 employees at CNN.
All middle managers would be out if I was hired to run CNN. I would replace them with hand-picked managers who would buy in on my mission on day one. Those managers would be told that any employee not on board has to be out. From all reports, staffers at CNN were bitching to Licht’s bosses from moment one.
CNN was failing. You have to change the organization’s culture, direction, and focus. When you go in as a Program Director, you have only 1 or 2 people with authority under you. A long-time assistant program director who was jealous that he or she didn’t get the job, and a news director. I have never had a real issue with either of those people, but I know PD’s who have. I have had a significant staffer in nearly every PD situation that has tried to undercut me.
Generally speaking, most have left without me eliminating them. If Chris Licht had just a handful of staffers complaining, upper management was perhaps a little weak-kneed. Having middle managers on his team could have given Licht more time to remake the network.
I would get back to the original mission: the biggest news stories at every moment. I would also really key in on breaking news. Cameras everywhere with images and reporters covering the actual news. If there is a political story, someone from each political side gives their opinion unchallenged by the host. This is a news operation, not a debate society. Let the guests spar and be a great referee.
MSNBC and Fox News are destroying CNN on the political back and forth. Remember, MSNBC and Fox News have 3 million viewers each at their peak. Of the 98% of the American public not watching the competition, make a place for them.
News/talk radio can learn from CNN’s decline. Rush Limbaugh was a larger-than-life personality who changed radio. Rush launched the careers of many hosts who looked to Limbaugh as a template. Many stations are struggling post-Rush. Rush was not successful because he was conservative. Rush was successful because he provided information, entertainment, and opinions that could not be duplicated. Rush always provided a “Wow” factor.
I can’t answer this for you, but is there a wow factor in the show you chose to replace Rush? Is there a wow factor in every show on your station? CNN lost its “Wow” factor a long time ago. Keep on your mission and make sure that you are providing those memorable moments.
Peter Thiele is a weekly news/talk radio columnist for Barrett Media, and an experienced news/talk radio programmer. He recently served as program director for WHO/KXNO in Des Moines, IA. Prior to that role he held programming positions in New York City, San Francisco, Little Rock, Greenville, Hunstville, and Joplin. Peter has also worked as a host, account executive and producer in Minneapolis, and San Antonio. He can be found on Twitter at @PeterThiele.
