CNN made some widespread changes under the direction of former CEO Chris Licht. 710 WOR host Mark Simone believes the network is trying to re-write the changes since Licht’s departure.
Former CNN contributor Jeffrey Toobin has been seen on the network recently, after departing the network after his high-profile gaffe on a Zoom call with The New Yorker. Additionally, former media reporter Brian Stelter has appeared on the network after being fired by Licht as part of a partisan cleansing project in his early days leading the cable channel.
During The Mark Simone Show, the WOR host questioned if CNN was returning to “the bad old days.”
“Quietly in the last few weeks, they’re all coming back. There’s new people running CNN for the parent company. And a lot of people have noticed Jeffrey Toobin is back. He’s made 20 appearances. In the last couple of weeks on CNN, Don Lemon has reappeared. That little wormy guy, Brian Stelter, has all of a sudden made a bunch of appearances on CNN,” said Simone. “Everybody’s worried CNN is going back.”
Simone then noted that CNN has bigger problems on its hands, stating that cable TV — as CEO Mark Thompson said — is facing an existential crisis.
“I hate to say it, but cable news, the numbers are going down. Network TV? The numbers are dropping all the time. How many people do you think watch network TV in America? 25 million. That’s it now. 25 million tatch network TV,” stated Simone. “How many listen to AM talk radio? 63 million. Total AM/FM radio? 159 Million.”
