Heads continue to roll at CNN after one of the largest management and talent shakeups in cable history continues. More changes are expected at the struggling network after it fired “Reliable Sources” host Brian Stelter last week.
President Chris Licht is expected to continue cleaning house at the network. The firing of Stelter came with a cryptic warning as Licht seeks to pivot from far-left, editorializing programs to more of a straight-news approach according to industry insiders. The change reportedly was pushed by John Malone, the chief shareholder in CNN’s parent company.
“I want to acknowledge that this is a time of significant change, and I know that many of you are unsettled,” Licht reportedly told staffers on an editorial staff call last week. “There will be more changes, and you might not understand it or like it.”
RadarOnline.com reported that “New Day,” the show started by Licht’s predecessor, Jeff Zucker, is on the chopping block. It will be replaced by a roundtable-type program patterned after MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” possibly with Jake Tapper as host. Licht surprisingly tried to hire “Morning Joe” husband-wife hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski away from the rival liberal cable news network which is also tanking in the ratings.
“Chris comes from the same breeding ground as Zucker — morning television,” a CNN insider said. “He wants to establish a popular morning show that sets the agenda for the network each day. He doesn’t want to change anchors frequently. He wants strength and stability and believes it all starts in the all-important morning timeslot.”
Brian Stelter’s worst moments:
Zucker launched “New Day” in 2013 with hosts Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan and Michaela Pereira. Former Fox News host Alisyn Camerota later joined the show but was replaced as well. The current lineup includes Brianna Keilar and John Berman.
The changes come after Licht told CNN staffers over the summer that he understood the network had undergone a lot of changes in a short amount of time after Zucker was terminated from his role leading the company.
“You heard me say in my first townhall that I am going to make decisions slower than some would like,” Licht said at the time. “I know this organization has been through tremendous change over the last four months, which is why I am approaching this process slowly and thoughtfully as we look at all parts of the operation. We will realign where it makes sense to best serve our people and the business.”
CNN, along with almost all of American cable news, got major stories wrong and continued to promote false narratives surrounding RussiaGate, the Steele Dossier, Hunter Biden’s Laptop and other stories. The reporting has caused viewers to leave the cable stations, and network news programs in droves.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice