CNN+ dies, thankfully
CNN is lost. Possibly forever. When news broke, you could flip to CNN and feel connected. They abandoned that gritty approach for talking heads who attempted to build their careers on tearing down the two-party system.
A Gallup poll released early in the pandemic reported 31% of Americans identified as Democrats, 25% as Republicans, and 41% as independents. In Massachusetts, unenrolled voters account for nearly 56% of voters.
That’s one heck of a lot of freeminded thinkers who aren’t easily swayed by stale talking points. (Thankfully!)
CNN should have studied the numbers. The political landscape is shifting with fewer people identifying with any party and more focused on — how can we say this in a family newspaper? — more facts and less baloney!
CNN has been the channel of the now-expunged Chris Cuomo — who cared more about his brother’s crumbling career than viewers. The other hosts, aside from Boston native John King and possibly Wolf Blitzer, just copy each other in a race to the far left.
That’s why CNN+ was doomed. The streaming service didn’t even last a month.
Executives said some CNN+ programming and employees will be absorbed into the television network and website but there will be layoffs — and the head of CNN+, Andrew Morse, is leaving the company, the Associated Press reports.
For a station that rails against any job cuts, you’d think they would have paced themselves out of the gate. They needed to promote a few cutting-edge programs and stick with them and let the audience grow. Instead, they just lost their relevance.
Disney+ got into the streaming game with a vault full of classics to absorb any lulls. “The Lion King” isn’t bad insurance for a slow month. Netflix is also struggling, but for different reasons.
CNN+ failed when it came to timing. The midterms and 2024 presidential race are just around the corner — but that’s when the Biden administration will face a reckoning. Maybe CNN bosses
felt pressured to launch while the Democrats hold a narrow majority.
They should have tossed the calendar out the window and covered, as they once did, everyone vying for Congress or the Oval Office. Rip up the Democratic playbook and turn into the wind and cover the heck out of politics.
As this weekend began, news broke that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrapped up his fifth trip to Iowa, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley announced she’s heading there this summer and former Vice President Mike Pence appears to be on the way now to Iowa, too.
That’s exciting stuff. New Hampshire is next in line and we all know what early wins in Iowa and New Hampshire can do for any candidate.
But CNN remains stuck in the Trump-is-bad spin cycle and they’re going to ride that until nobody flips on the mother station.
Independents demand honest, equal coverage and CNN is proving it just can’t check that box. Incoming CNN Chief Executive Chris Licht said consumers wanted “simplicity and an all-in service” rather than stand-alone offerings, AP reported.
He’s right. CNN has lost its gravitas. Early on it brought the world to your TV 24/7. Larry King was unique, but at least he kept you guessing sometimes about his point of view. Those days are gone. Maybe that’s good.
Somebody just needs to get Don Lemon and Jim Acosta to read the memo. They also need to go the way of CNN+, if only to give viewers a break from the predictable.