CNN Needs a Make-Over?

[Akno21]

Recently, many studies have shown CNN falling in the ratings compared to other cable news channels. This is no shock. Look who they have on from 7 to 10. Anderson Cooper. Paula Zahn. Larry King. I would rather watch O'Reilly and Hannity spin for 2 hours than watch those shows. CNN's reporting is still excellent, if I want news from the campaign trial, Candy Crowley and John King are very good. Wolf Blitzer is one of my favorite journalists, and not just because of the name. Aaron Brown is fine for the 10:00 time slot. CNN is the most trusted name in news, they need to keep it that way. Make Crossfire an hour, and move it back to 7:00. Hire a new, studious face, put him at 8:00. (Hint, no arm chairs, real news or a real feature) Move Wolf Blitzer reports to 9:00. I will still watch CNN on November 2nd, they still have the best campaign coverage, but they need to do some major reshuffling.

By the way, while I'm ranting about CNN, does anyone know who Carlos Watson is? This year he's kinda jumped on ship, and he is an anaylist like Greenfield and Schneider, but what did he do to get like that?

[Keystone Phil]

Make Crossfire an hour, and move it back to 7:00.

I am in full agreement with you on this.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Make Crossfire an hour, and move it back to 7:00.

I am in full agreement with you on this.

The best thing they could do for Crossfire is get an a more "intellectual" representative of the left like they used to have in Mike Kinsley, instead of the hacks they have there now.
 
Or they could just put "Capital Gang" on every night.

[??????????]

Get rid of Gollum (Carville).

[Platypus]

Ban crossfire, poach Jim Lehrer's newshour and have some serious, nonpartisan analytical news!

[Nym90]

Ban crossfire, poach Jim Lehrer's newshour and have some serious, nonpartisan analytical news!

I agree, The Newshour with Jim Lehrer is the best news show in the USA today.

I also agree that Kinsley was the best liberal host ever. I really liked Crossfire back in those days when they had Kinsley on the left and Buchanan on the right.

Bill Press was pretty good too, although not as good as Kinsley, but better than Carville and Begala.

[Nation]

It's not CNN, but I'd like Donahue to come back.

[ATFFL]

It's not CNN, but I'd like Donahue to come back.

Poor guy, highest rated show on MSNBC, but they fire him because he cannot bea tO'Reilly. 

FOX should nab him and either pair him up with Greta or give him her timeslot.

THough I think they want to put Dennis Miller in at 10 when they get the chance.

[YRABNNRM]

It's not CNN, but I'd like Donahue to come back.

THough I think they want to put Dennis Miller in at 10 when they get the chance.

Hopefully, his show on CNBC is a waste. He deserves better.

[Akno21]

Get rid of Gollum (Carville).

I don't like him much either, mostly because I have no clue what he is saying.

[cwelsch]

Larry King sucks but he's so famous he'll never be fired.  His show is boring softballs and bad interviews.

Aaron Brown is abysmal.  I don't even bother to watch Anderson Cooper 360.  Paula Zahn, eh, whatever.  They don't have anything that can compete with O'Reilly but they need to beef up Crossfire to an hour, as stated here, and move it to 7 or 9.  I'd suggest 7, since there's an actual audience.  I've been in the audience since I went to GW.  It's one of the better (least bad) programs on the network.

And I absolutely hate Lou Dobbs, I'd start trying to replace Dobbs and Brown on Day 1 if I were in charge.  Lou Dobbs, that xenophobic, nativist, anti-free trade jerk.  Man I hate him, he's so biased.

CNN needs to come to play, bump the stupid softball stuff to early afternoon wasteland time slots or something.  They need Crossfire to get some serious action brewing.  Opposite Shepard Smith I'd sure as hell watch Crossfire.  I hate Shepard Smith's show, though, so that's not saying much.  Then they need to give Wolf or somebody famous a show, either a one-man O'Reilly / Scarborough deal or a two-man Hannity-Colmes / Press-Buchanan format.  Then they can leave Larry King, he's boring but gotta stick with the brand.

It's boring as is, I don't bother to watch it, really.  They need something that can compete with Fox.  I think they need somebody who's a hard-hitting moderate or conservative.  They could also go libertarian, if they want to avoid getting too Fox-like.

But they need some conflict in there.  It's boring and the news reporting is largely unchallenged.  The benefit of conflictual news analysis is you aren't spoon-fed news stories, you have some shake-up, some open discussion.

And Jim Lehrer won't leave PBS.

[cwelsch]

Wolf Blitzer is the coolest name of all time.
I really like Candy Crowley, I do not know what her politics are, but I am one FOX person who watched some CNN on election 2000 because of her.
 

She's married to Alan Colmes.

[??????????]

Wolf Blitzer is the coolest name of all time.
I really like Candy Crowley, I do not know what her politics are, but I am one FOX person who watched some CNN on election 2000 because of her.
 

She's married to Alan Colmes.

That dude looks like a toad.

[qwerty]

Alan Colmes' head does not fit properly into his skull.

[ATFFL]

Brown is so bad he loses to Greta, and her show is not too hot.  Sadly, he is the only person who realizes part of the CNN problem is that they treat everything with the same grim seriousness as 9-11.  He does a headline check on his show, showing hte headlines for the next days papers.  He includes tabloids and such to add a laugh and lighten up the end of the show.  You can spare some time for a chuckle in the 24 hour news cycle.

This is part of the FOX success.  They do not treat every story the same and spend more time on the lighter side of the news.  It helps break up the monotony of  a 24 hours nws cycle.  They also try to make their opinion.debate shows entertaining, unlike what CNN has become.

Move Wolf to primetime, put him on opposite Bill.  Yes, he will get his ass kicked, but he might get some viewers.  If you want to keep him in his current format go to 6 PM and put him opposite Brit Hume.  If you do this shamelessly rip off Brit's format.

Put Crossfire on opposite Hannity & Colmes.  Go head to head.  And get a real conservative who can articulate his position.  And get a liberal with a personality.  If you can get Ann Coulter and Al Franken you WILL win the ratings battle every night.  Either that or give this once great show the mercy killing it needs.

Move Aaron Brown to 7 PM.  Or put him on at 5 opposite John Gibson on FOX.  You may be able to take an early bite out of the FOX audience.

When Dennis Miller is free to leave CNBC, put him on at 10.  Until then move Larry King to 10 and put him up against the weak link in the FOX lineup.

Get rid of Lou Dobbs and find someone who knows the newer economic theories.  Lou is institutionalized in his views and mocks anything that does nto fit his narrow view.  You will not find an economist with the personality of Neal Cavuto, he is one in a billion in his ability to humanize some vague economic concepts, but you can do a hell of a lot better than Lou.

[Akno21]

CNN needs to shape itself as the best newschannel out there. They do that by firing the people who have no use, such as Larry King, and the people who don't know a clue about news and should host a morning show on the networks, such as Anderson Cooper and Paula Zahn. Suggested CNN line-up:

5:00- Lou Dobbs
6:00- Inside Politics
7:00- *Law Show*
8:00- Crossfire, Press v. Buchanan, Franken v. Coulter
9:00- Wolf Blitzer Reports
10:00 Newsnight with Aaron Brown

In the morning do not try to entertain anybody. If we want a very casual show, we have better options on the networks. 

[badnarikin04]

I say we dump all cable media and establish a new channel of 24/7 NOW with Bill Moyers.

Third party airtime + shocking (even for me) CPD expose=Journalism at it's finest.

If we are to make a concrete plan to establish a multi party system, something like that would be key.

[WalterMitty]

im glad soledad o'brien is back from maternity leave.   she is very cute.

as for the talking heads show...they all suck.  i dont watch any of them.