Should CNN Merge With CBS Or ABC?

[DToTheJ]

That's what Chicago Tribune columnist Phil Rosenthal thinks should be done to save CNN.

"Whichever broadcaster CNN married, the two would share resources and spread out costs the way NBC News does with MSNBC. Cable would provide a place to rerun broadcast reports and reuse network reporters over the course of the day..."

There's also a playful comparison to a Daffy Duck cartoon toward the end of this column that I won't spoil - but a great point is made.

Full story:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0407-phil-2-20100407,0,5815174.column

 

[FreddyE1977]

Why would CBS or ABC want them? They don't throw enough money down rat holes now?

And why is this columnist so desperate to save CNN? Why not just let them go under if only
25,000 national households watch them in prime time?

Oh....I get it.....it's because they're NOT FOX!!!!!!!

 

[LKellerIII]

Why would CBS or ABC want them? They don't throw enough money down rat holes now?

And why is this columnist so desperate to save CNN? Why not just let them go under if only
25,000 national households watch them in prime time?

Oh....I get it.....it's because they're NOT FOX!!!!!!!

Forgetting about the cable TV news lightning rods for a moment (Hannity, Beck, Olberman), I have to say that from my perspective, the idea of Fox News being the only viable cable/satellite news source is a bit frightening. Despite their claims to the contrary, I find Fox to be biased 24/7.

If CNN went under, MSNBC would seriously need to step up their game and provide more news content: fewer repackaged Dateline segments and all the filler fluff they run, like those endelssly repeated prison documentaries.

 

[tothedj]

The "Fox News Channel" might be bias to many, but why are they the #1 channel for news on cable?, because most who watch
like their product, as for MSNBC?, they don't put the resources of NBC News to better use, and one thing that drives viewers
away is the "overboard" coverage of politics, who wants to listen to the liberal slant 24/7?, and CNN?, it's sad what has taken
place there, they were the first "Cable News Network" 30 years ago June 1st, i'm surprised they haven't merged their operations with CBS News since Anderson Cooper does occasional reports for "60 Minutes", CBS is the only network that doesn't have a
presence on cable with a news operation, ABC already has "ABC News Now", but not many cable companies haven't picked it
up, and since Time Warner has CNN, and Comcast will soon be owned(pending federal approval) by NBC Universal, which could
keep them off in many places.

 

[LKellerIII]

The "Fox News Channel" might be bias to many, but why are they the #1 channel for news on cable?, because most who watch
like their product, as for MSNBC?, they don't put the resources of NBC News to better use, and one thing that drives viewers
away is the "overboard" coverage of politics, who wants to listen to the liberal slant 24/7?, and CNN?, it's sad what has taken
place there, they were the first "Cable News Network" 30 years ago June 1st, i'm surprised they haven't merged their operations with CBS News since Anderson Cooper does occasional reports for "60 Minutes", CBS is the only network that doesn't have a
presence on cable with a news operation, ABC already has "ABC News Now", but not many cable companies haven't picked it
up, and since Time Warner has CNN, and Comcast will soon be owned(pending federal approval) by NBC Universal, which could
keep them off in many places.

Fox News is number one for a couple of reasons:

(1) They produce the flashiest product with the most entertaining graphics, fast paced stories, etc. This isn't just my opinion - O'Reilly also credits production values for FNC's success.

(2) They represent the voice of the opposition. Conservatives are angry and frustrated now that Democrats control Congress and Obama is President, so they are naturally attracted to a network that provides conservative commentary and a conservative slant on the news. As an analogy, think of conservative talk radio's biggest years of expansion - it was in the 90s during the Clinton administration.

Fox News is biased during the news hours. All you have to do is watch for awhile to confirm that. They rarely talk to liberal pundits, just pundits in their huge army of stand-by right-wingers. And they always make sure to provide coverage to even the smallest Tea Party type rallies, often to the exclusion of other relevant news stories.

I agree with you about MSNBC. It's frustrating that somebody with "the sources of NBC news" can't put out a better product.

 

[1069_KIFR]

Should CNN Merge With CBS Or ABC?
No.

 

[Joey1986]

This thread reminds me of the episode of The Simpsons titled "Lisa's Wedding," in which Lisa is shown her future and is going to marry this British guy and on TV, Kent Brockman is an anchor for CNNBCBS (which, as you might have gathered, a merger among CNN, NBC, and CBS). I also liked the digital Big Ben flashing 12:00.

Sorry, couldn't resist sharing the above!

But in all seriousness, what exactly would be accomplished by CNN merging with the Eye Network or the Alphabet Network (indeed, any over-the-air network for that matter?)

 

[johnnyu]

The "Fox News Channel" might be bias to many, but why are they the #1 channel for news on cable?, because most who watch
like their product, as for MSNBC?, they don't put the resources of NBC News to better use, and one thing that drives viewers
away is the "overboard" coverage of politics, who wants to listen to the liberal slant 24/7?, and CNN?, it's sad what has taken
place there, they were the first "Cable News Network" 30 years ago June 1st, i'm surprised they haven't merged their operations with CBS News since Anderson Cooper does occasional reports for "60 Minutes", CBS is the only network that doesn't have a
presence on cable with a news operation, ABC already has "ABC News Now", but not many cable companies haven't picked it
up, and since Time Warner has CNN, and Comcast will soon be owned(pending federal approval) by NBC Universal, which could
keep them off in many places.I believe you have it backwards. COMCAST is trying to buy NBC Universal.

 

[johnnyu]

I believe I goofed. I will repeat that COMCAST is attempting to buy NBC Universal, not the other way around.

 

[BlueWanderer]

Fox News is biased during the news hours. All you have to do is watch for awhile to confirm that. They rarely talk to liberal pundits, just pundits in their huge army of stand-by right-wingers. And they always make sure to provide coverage to even the smallest Tea Party type rallies, often to the exclusion of other relevant news stories.

Funny, that sounds just like MSNBC a few years back. Just replace conservative bias with liberal and Tea Party rallies with anti-war rallies and you get MSNBC from 2004 or 2005.

This thread reminds me of the episode of The Simpsons titled "Lisa's Wedding," in which Lisa is shown her future and is going to marry this British guy and on TV, Kent Brockman is an anchor for CNNBCBS (which, as you might have gathered, a merger among CNN, NBC, and CBS). I also liked the digital Big Ben flashing 12:00.

Not to get off-topic too much, but I did watch that episode on New Year's Day since that episode has to do with being in 2010. It's interesting to note how accurate that episode, which was made in 1995, really is when compared to the future that Back to the Future Part 2 had. I doubt we will have flying cars in five years.

 

[sdwulfdawg]

There has always been talk about CNN merging with one of the alphabet networks.

The concept of everybody criticizing Fox Noise having a conservative bent is a bit of a worn thread. The fact is that FOX Noise would not be successful if those right of the political spectrum were the only ones watching the channel.

As for not presenting an opposing view, that is a bunch of b-s which is a bit like a "lie repeated eventually becomes the truth." They are always presenting during their news blocks a lot of Democratic pundits and politicians countering an opposing view.

The problem with CNN is that it has lost its vision. It doesn't have "snap" like Fox News. Just because you put on garish graphics and boxes and a ticker doesn't make you have "snap." They have second-and-third tier anchors who just don't have gravitas or weight THen you have Don Lemmon with his sculptured eyebrows trying to be a grownup journalist much like children love to put on their parents clothes and all of a sudden become "adults."

 

[KeithE4]

CNN is becoming too similar to CBS and ABC - geezer-friendly dinosaurs that are waiting to die, just like their audience. A merger between CNN and either CBS or ABC would just be more of the same tired old BS.

They'd be better off IMHO by dumping Larry King and Anderson Cooper and picking up the pace a bit (or a lot), while still providing more real news than their partisan-politics-oriented competitors. It doesn't have to be super-flashy, but it shouldn't look like the on-camera folks need a double-shot of Geritol.

Real news doesn't have to be boring. This is television, not NPR.

 

[badjef]

CNN doesn't have to merge with anybody to be successful. If they would root themselves back in the Constitution and love of Country, it would be a start.

Fox is not Conservative. Some programs lean that way because those hosts tend to be more Libertarian. Fox appears Conservative because of the A-B comparison with CNN and MSNBC.

Conservatism at its roots call for limited Washington power. CNN has shown throughout the last 20 years they want more DC influence.

Read the role of Government and see for yourself if Congress is operating within those boundries.

Merge? Yeah, go ahead, take down the other networks with them. They are going in that direction. anyway.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[DToTheJ]

They'd be better off IMHO by dumping Larry King and Anderson Cooper and picking up the pace a bit (or a lot), while still providing more real news than their partisan-politics-oriented competitors...

I was always under the impression that Coop would be CNN's "heir apparent" - of what, exactly, I'm not sure, but he is one of the few newer "household names" on the network. As for King, with his longevity and seniority, CNN could either let him step down whenever he wanted (which may not be in the very near future), or force him out (which could result in the backlash of CNN's already decreasing audience). Damned if you do, damned if you don't...

Then you have Don Lemon [sic] with his sculptured eyebrows trying to be a grownup journalist much like children love to put on their parents clothes and all of a sudden become "adults."

The time he got "punked" by a tweet when soliciting "positive comments about Sarah Palin" on Twitter (IIRC on the day she stepped down as Governor of Alaska) - the tweet read something along the lines of, "You want a positive comment about Sarah Palin? I'm positive that she's an idiot..." - tells you all you need to know, not about the host (though I recall the way he vamped out of reading the tweet was quite awkward), but the network.

 

[Al Timiter]

I agree with Lkeller mostly. Their presentation is flashy and fresh, making CNN look old and stodgy. Don't discount that! And they ARE biased. But since more Americans identify themselves as "Conservative" than "Liberal": Big ratings for FOX News. It's not surprising to me. Disappointing but not surprising.

 

[Nate Wesley]

**Merge with CBS News.

**Cover more breaking sports news with Sports Illustrated & Turner Sports talent. There's no rule saying The ESPNs must break Donovan McNabb trade news first...or alone.

**You know the best of those stories told/shown on Current TV? CNN used to have some of that kind of reporting in-house. Go back to it.

**Give media outfits like ProPublica, Slate, and Talking Points Memo an hour on the weekends.

**Can or 86 any topic or theme that serves to stroke the egos of the comfortable--that's what Fox News specializes in. CNN should get back to muckraking, even if it costs them sponsors.

 

[arnoldevns]

Let's back up and examine why this is a thread in the first place.
CNN has been slowly loosing audience for a long time. However, recently it has rapidly lost about half of its audience. It is falling behind not only Fox, but MSNBC, HLN and CNBC in some cases. The media columnists at big newspapers have always liked CNN and now they're offering suggestions on how to save their dying friend.

That said, talk of CNN merging with one of the broadcast network operations has been around for a long time.
It has been hard for anyone to make sense of what that would really mean or how such a thing would operate. My view is that this will only happen if Time Warner sells CNN to someone. All the talks I've heard about would keep TW in ownership while merging CNN's news operations with one of the broadcast network news operations. CNN would get access to the reporters from the other network and vice versa. The sticking point comes in asking "who would be in charge?" The broadcast networks have not wanted to let CNN run the show and CNN doesn't want the broadcast network news chief telling them what to do.
So it's always been at an impass.


If TW sold CNN, this impass would go away. Whoever bought CNN would be in charge and that would be it.
Regardless of what happens, CNN needs new leadership and a new vision. What they're doing now is not working.

 

[badjef]

Ted Turner wanted to combine with an established network for years. In 1986, he expressed more than an interest in purchasing CBS before CNN was 8 years old!

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[brian4]

For some reason, and I don't know why, I assumed that CNN and CBS would merge at some point but ABC makes you think. Especially since ABC says they were going to trim down their news department. They might be a good fit.

This thread reminds me of the episode of The Simpsons titled "Lisa's Wedding," in which Lisa is shown her future and is going to marry this British guy and on TV, Kent Brockman is an anchor for CNNBCBS (which, as you might have gathered, a merger among CNN, NBC, and CBS). I also liked the digital Big Ben flashing 12:00.

"Lisa's Wedding" is in my top ten favorite episodes of all time! What makes it great is there are so many little things that were going on. Like how you never heard Maggie say a word, even though she had a potty-mouth and sang like an angel.

 

[imhomerjay]

Probably one of my top 10 episodes, or darned close to it. It has just about every element that has made the series a classic, all clicking together perfectly.