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CNN: LOWEST RATINGS IN 15 YEARS

When I was on the road, I found myself really annoyed by the Headline News Channel, and if I decided to watch CNN I would find the "real" news CNN channel.
If it was available in whatever hotel I was staying in.

As time went by it got harder and harder to end up in a hotel that had the full CNN.
More often it was the Headline "news" and celebrity channel.

CNN not being available in the car in most places is going to hurt ratings.
That's a huge chunk of day for listeners to be captured by other media.
In the places it IS available in the car, it ends up sounding stupid because it's just TV sound on radio
and obviously a weak effort where a seperate staff to generate top quality radio content is not
worth the bother to CNN.
OK by me CNN, you don't have to give more than half a damn, I don't have
consider you as any kind of meaningful "news" source, either. Fair enough trade.


Not having an OTA signal makes them pretty much invisible to me these days.
Where in the world would I go to see or hear some CNN?
I can only afford to pay for so much for the delivery of advertising content, and even then,
I'm only going to buy one or two sources of advertising content.

For me, that would be the Chicago Tribune and the AT&T internet service.

Not at all interested in paying for any other additional advertising delivery services.
If CNN would like to see their ratings go up, they'd have to pay for that "last mile" by getting an OTA signal in Chicago.
Otherwise they don't even really "exist" as far as I am concerned.

It's been at least 3 years since I have even had any *opportunity* to be exposed to an outlet of CNN.
How would I even know what they are like these days? Or what leaning they might be?

I suppose I could go to a CNN website but that would first need to be some kind of go-to source already.

If I'm going to go online for audio content news I want it to be AP Network news. Which died, thank you very much.
It's getting so I can't even find news content online that is a text-only story. More often it's a video, requiring
about 5 times as much of my time to get the information across.
 
I just don't know how much politics one can take. There was a day, not that long ago, when CNN would follow a police chase here, a live robbery there...hostage situation. It was great to watch, and it was live. Now its just people in the rotunda, or a shot in front of the White House. Boring comes to mind.
 
garnet said:
I just don't know how much politics one can take. There was a day, not that long ago, when CNN would follow a police chase here, a live robbery there...hostage situation. It was great to watch, and it was live. Now its just people in the rotunda, or a shot in front of the White House. Boring comes to mind.

All the Police Chases and Live robberies took place in LA and CNN used the KTLA or KCAL9 feed to get those stories. But recently CNN has been using TMZ whenever a celebrities die in LA.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpoli...-like-10th-graders-analysis-shows?sc=fb&cc=fp

Here's the reason why MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, HLN and Congress are like this. Apparently Members Of Congress Talk Like 10th Graders. According to the NPR article. This article is not a surprise to Daily Show fans but they are a surprise to the General public.
 
They should use every feed possible. I thought that was why they started using 'affiliates'...I want to see the alligator in a driveway in Alabama, I want to see them get rid of it. And I'm not leaving CNN until I see it. Sadly, they don't do goofy stuff like that anymore.
 
Here's my 2 cents...

Just randomly flip to CNN or HLN at random times. 75% chance you will find a commercial. It seems recently the advertising is only occasionally interupted by the programming. (Seems they might be caught in that death spiral...viewership is down so run more ads to make up revenue...which drives off more viewers so...run more ads which drives off more viewers...etc.)

It does also seem recently that CNN has taken a rightward shift. I'm not sure that trying to be Fox-Lite is the way to go. There is already a network for that and I think they have those viewers pretty well sewn up at this point.

I do miss the Turner edict of take every event live, no matter how insignificant it may seem. CNN is no longer the 'go to' place for breaking news. (Most every major event from earthquakes and tornadoes to politics and celebrity deaths recently I have first heard about on Twitter).

A suggestion, While MSNBC and Fox (and also Current) are running opinion shows during prime time, how about a solid 3 hour block of hard news. Dig out those old Bernard Shaw tapes for a refresher course on how to do this.
 
Scotpfv said:
A suggestion, While MSNBC and Fox (and also Current) are running opinion shows during prime time, how about a solid 3 hour block of hard news. Dig out those old Bernard Shaw tapes for a refresher course on how to do this.

CNN does basically run "hard news" in primetime. John King, Anderson Cooper, and Erin Burnett actually show reports of what is going on in the world, with some amount of punditry mixed in. But all of the shows have a lot of fluffy news as well.
 
PTBoardOp94 said:
Scotpfv said:
A suggestion, While MSNBC and Fox (and also Current) are running opinion shows during prime time, how about a solid 3 hour block of hard news. Dig out those old Bernard Shaw tapes for a refresher course on how to do this.

CNN does basically run "hard news" in primetime. John King, Anderson Cooper, and Erin Burnett actually show reports of what is going on in the world, with some amount of punditry mixed in. But all of the shows have a lot of fluffy news as well.

CNN's ratings will improve as we approach the November elections. I agree that it would be ideal if CNN ran hard news 24/7, but the fact is - that's a recipe for ratings disaster unless there are breaking news stories that compel viewers to watch. When the news is slow, or non-sensational, 24/7 cable news is not interesting - viewers would rather watch local news in their individual markets.
 
Lkeller said:
PTBoardOp94 said:
Scotpfv said:
A suggestion, While MSNBC and Fox (and also Current) are running opinion shows during prime time, how about a solid 3 hour block of hard news. Dig out those old Bernard Shaw tapes for a refresher course on how to do this.

CNN does basically run "hard news" in primetime. John King, Anderson Cooper, and Erin Burnett actually show reports of what is going on in the world, with some amount of punditry mixed in. But all of the shows have a lot of fluffy news as well.

CNN's ratings will improve as we approach the November elections. I agree that it would be ideal if CNN ran hard news 24/7, but the fact is - that's a recipe for ratings disaster unless there are breaking news stories that compel viewers to watch. When the news is slow, or non-sensational, 24/7 cable news is not interesting - viewers would rather watch local news in their individual markets.

That's just it. CNN will win with exciting breaking news. They need to get back to this, as it is a forgone conclusion they can't compete with MSNBC and Fox for static news. Anderson Cooper is good, but even he can't compete with good, solid breaking news. CNN, IMO, should stop trying to imitate MSNBC and Fox, and develop their own strategy...breaking news, breaking all the time. The more breaking, the better.
 
recto101 said:
I'm not surprised here that cable news has low ratings. I stopped watching CNN, MSNBC, Fox, CNBC, and HLN. These channels don't provide good objective news content like all-news radio in my area of SFO. Also in my area Pacifica radio, NPR, CBS all-news (KCBS in San Francisco), ARNN (Web-only) and News Radio International (Web only) provides better news content. I know Jon Stewart on the Daily Show and other media critics have supposed evidence that shows that MSNBC, CNBC and Fox are propaganda. Also CNN and HLN are accused of bowing down to TMZ and National Enquirer to get national news content.


If you want to know what is going on in the world try catching BBC America. They actually report news, instead of who Britney Spears is dating and other fluff like that. PBS is about as far left as MSNBC.
 
searadiofreak said:
Lkeller said:
PTBoardOp94 said:
Scotpfv said:
A suggestion, While MSNBC and Fox (and also Current) are running opinion shows during prime time, how about a solid 3 hour block of hard news. Dig out those old Bernard Shaw tapes for a refresher course on how to do this.

CNN does basically run "hard news" in primetime. John King, Anderson Cooper, and Erin Burnett actually show reports of what is going on in the world, with some amount of punditry mixed in. But all of the shows have a lot of fluffy news as well.

CNN's ratings will improve as we approach the November elections. I agree that it would be ideal if CNN ran hard news 24/7, but the fact is - that's a recipe for ratings disaster unless there are breaking news stories that compel viewers to watch. When the news is slow, or non-sensational, 24/7 cable news is not interesting - viewers would rather watch local news in their individual markets.

That's just it. CNN will win with exciting breaking news. They need to get back to this, as it is a forgone conclusion they can't compete with MSNBC and Fox for static news. Anderson Cooper is good, but even he can't compete with good, solid breaking news. CNN, IMO, should stop trying to imitate MSNBC and Fox, and develop their own strategy...breaking news, breaking all the time. The more breaking, the better.

In other words go back to the CNN of the old (1980s-1990s).
 
TVCOOL said:
In other words go back to the CNN of the old (1980s-1990s).

That is the original concept Ted Turner envisioned.

As for "breaking news" here is a suggestion.

CNN should use more of their affiliates across the country when it comes to "breaking news" instead of spending time interviewing politicians (Chuck Schumer comes to mind) along with so-called experts on everything or someone who recently wrote a book.

Headline News, or what ever it is called now, might has well be renamed TMZ news.
 
MarkW said:
i think for many CNN is seen as yet ANOTHER member of the "Main Stream Liberal Media". if they would do something that wasn't so Predictable, they might get some "Cred". in short, Liberal Talk Radio NEVER MADE IT, CNN, and to a larger extent msnbc isn't making it either.

Your comment regarding MSNBC simply isn't true. Look at the ratings. They are doing much better than CNN, and have gone nowhere but up since adopting a hard left-wing lean in prime time.

Some would argue that NPR is liberal talk radio, and in many (but not all) large markets, NPR-affiliated stations post strong ratings.
How can you take msnbc seriously when they are OFF-THE air when it comes to live news or live shows on weekends? no matter WHAT they do they will NEVER beat FOX news.
 
I am a liberal by birth and I always watch MSNBC to confirm my views. I really miss Keith however. But I don't understand why they have so much filler junk Friday at 10 and most of the week-end. Kinda cheesy
 
WhoDat! said:
MarkW said:
i think for many CNN is seen as yet ANOTHER member of the "Main Stream Liberal Media". if they would do something that wasn't so Predictable, they might get some "Cred". in short, Liberal Talk Radio NEVER MADE IT, CNN, and to a larger extent msnbc isn't making it either.

Your comment regarding MSNBC simply isn't true. Look at the ratings. They are doing much better than CNN, and have gone nowhere but up since adopting a hard left-wing lean in prime time.

Some would argue that NPR is liberal talk radio, and in many (but not all) large markets, NPR-affiliated stations post strong ratings.
How can you take msnbc seriously when they are OFF-THE air when it comes to live news or live shows on weekends? no matter WHAT they do they will NEVER beat FOX news.

I only watch msNBC for LockUp and thats it.
 
I can't tell you how many times I tried Msnbc when live news was breaking only to see canned Dateline takeoffs and jail shows. News breaks on weekends too, but apparently everyone goes home Friday. Still not a player.
 
PTBoardOp94 said:
Scotpfv said:
A suggestion, While MSNBC and Fox (and also Current) are running opinion shows during prime time, how about a solid 3 hour block of hard news. Dig out those old Bernard Shaw tapes for a refresher course on how to do this.

CNN does basically run "hard news" in primetime. John King, Anderson Cooper, and Erin Burnett actually show reports of what is going on in the world, with some amount of punditry mixed in. But all of the shows have a lot of fluffy news as well.

The Fluff thats inserted to the CNN and HLN broadcasts are from TMZ. I heard that TMZ is the No.1 Tabloid in America. Wait if this is true how do I get revenue data and ratings from TMZ, HLN and CNN? I thought Tabloids are measured by the number of copies sold and HLN and CNN are measured by the cume like radio is and TMZ by the number of clicks. I suspect Time Warner is doing this move because They know TMZ is doing better than the 2 all-news stations.
 
There may be something to adding TMZ programming to HLN. Combine the forces and create a celebrity news channel, which HLN is already pretty much. Combine the forces, and this could be a winner. However, it will cause CNN to pay for stories, something that may be a bugaboo.
 
I'm not surprised by the ratings and only surprised that the station did so well for so many years. Back in 1998 we called it the Clinton News Network because during the Impeachment proceedings they barely mentioned that the Senate was conducting a trial.
 
searadiofreak said:
There may be something to adding TMZ programming to HLN. Combine the forces and create a celebrity news channel, which HLN is already pretty much. Combine the forces, and this could be a winner. However, it will cause CNN to pay for stories, something that may be a bugaboo.

If TMZ is going to be No.1 all-Tabloid Channel in the USA that means Harvey Levin would have to hack every American Celebrity's Phone in LA, NYC, and DC to get the stories they want to run 24 hours a day. That means he has to resemble Rupert Murdoch's British Tabloid Operation's. I don't see how TMZ Network will remain ethical in the USA.

I remember Harvey Levin as a local reporter on KCBS 2 News in 1994-1997. But Now he is bound to be the next Rupert Murdoch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J02N_qD9n6c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f035w8eD2f0
 
recto101 said:
searadiofreak said:
There may be something to adding TMZ programming to HLN. Combine the forces and create a celebrity news channel, which HLN is already pretty much. Combine the forces, and this could be a winner. However, it will cause CNN to pay for stories, something that may be a bugaboo.

If TMZ is going to be No.1 all-Tabloid Channel in the USA that means Harvey Levin would have to hack every American Celebrity's Phone in LA, NYC, and DC to get the stories they want to run 24 hours a day. That means he has to resemble Rupert Murdoch's British Tabloid Operation's. I don't see how TMZ Network will remain ethical in the USA.

I remember Harvey Levin as a local reporter on KCBS 2 News in 1994-1997. But Now he is bound to be the next Rupert Murdoch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J02N_qD9n6c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f035w8eD2f0

Not to be picky, but how is Howard Levin bound to be the "next Rupert Murdoch?"

Levin is a reporter, Murdoch is a businessman. As far as I know, Murdoch has never worked as a reporter, or been on air, unless he was being interviewed. And I'm sure Murdoch never personally hacked any phones. He has people to do that.
 
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